Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.part. fut. acuturus, not used) [cf. 2. acer], to make sharp or pointed, to sharpen, whet.

I. Lit.: “ne stridorem quidem serrae audiunt, cum acuitur,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 40; so, “ferrum,” Verg. A. 8, 386; Hor. C. 1, 2, 21: “enses,” Ov. M. 15, 776: “gladium,” Vulg. Deut. 32, 41: “sagittas,” id. Jer. 51, 11.—Poet.: “fulmen,” Lucr. 6, 278: “dentes,” Hor. C. 3, 20, 10; cf. Tib. 4, 3, 3.—

II. Trop.

A. First, of the tongue, qs. to whet, i. e. to sharpen, exercise, improve: “acuere linguam exercitatione dicendi,” Cic. Brut. 97: “linguam causis,” Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 23; so Vulg. Psa. 139, 4; so in gen.: se, to exercise one's self, to make one's self ready: “acueram me ad exagitandam hanc ejus legationem,” Cic. Att. 2, 7: mentem, ingenium, prudentiam, etc.; to sharpen: “multa, quae acuant mentem, multa quae obtundant,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 33; so id. Brut. 33; id. Phil. 2, 17; id. de Or. 1, 20.—

B. Acuere aliquem (with or without ad aliquid), to spur on, incite, stir up, arouse: “ad crudelitatem,” Cic. Lig. 4; id. Fam. 15, 21: “illos sat aetas acuet,” Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 49; Cic. Rosc. Am. 33, 110: “ita duae res, quae languorem afferunt ceteris, illum acuebant, otium et solitudo,” id. Off. 3, 1; Liv. 28, 19: “curis acuens mortalia corda,” Verg. G. 1, 123: “auditisque lupos acuunt balatibus agni,” id. ib. 4, 435: “quam Juno his acuit verbis,” id. A. 7, 330.—

C. Aliquid, to rouse up, kindle, excite (mostly poet.): “saevus in armis Aeneas acuit Martem et se suscitat irā,” Verg. A. 12, 108: “iram,” Vulg. Sap. 5, 21: “studia,” Val. Max. 2, 2, no. 3.—

D. In gramm.: acuere syllabam, to give an acute accent to (opp. gravem ponere), Quint. 1, 5, 22; cf. Prisc. Op. Min. 159 Lind.: accentus acutus ideo inventus est, quod acuat sive elevet syllabam.—Hence, ăcūtus , a, um, P.a., sharpened, made pointed; hence,

A. Lit., sharp, pointed (acer denotes natural sharpness, etc.: acutus, that produced by exertion, skill, etc.: sermo acer, impassioned, passionate; sermo acutus, pointed, acute discourse): “vide ut sit acutus culter probe,” Plaut. Mil. 5, 4: “ferrum,” Hor. A. P. 304: “cuspis,” Verg. A. 5, 208: “gladius,” Vulg. Psa. 56, 5: “carex,” Verg. G. 3, 231; elementa, i. e. pointed, jagged atoms (opp. to perplexa, connected), Lucr. 2, 463: “nasus,” Plaut. Cap. 3, 4, 114: “oculi,” of a pointed shape, id. Ps. 4, 7, 121: “aures,” pointed, Hor. C. 2, 19, 4: “saxa,” id. ib. 3, 27, 61; so Verg. A. 1, 45.—

2. Transf.

a. Of the senses themselves, sharp, keen: “oculos acrīs atque cicutos,” Cic. Planc. 66: “nares,” Hor. S. 1, 3, 29; Cels. 2, 6.—

b. Of objects affecting the senses, sharp, acute; of the voice, soprano or treble: inde loci lituus sonitus effudit acutos, Enn. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 116 Müll. (Ann. v. 522 ed. Vahl.): “hinnitu,” Verg. G. 3, 94: “voces,” id. Cir. 107; Ov. M. 3, 224: “stridore,” Hor. C. 1, 34, 15: “vocem ab acutissimo sono usque ad gravissimum sonum recipiunt,” from the highest treble to the lowest base, Cic. de Or. 1, 59, 251; cf. ib. 3, 57, 216; Somn. Scip. 5; Rep. 6, 18.—

c. In gen., of things affecting the body, of either heat or cold from their similar effects, keen, sharp, violent, severe: “sol,” Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 17: “radii solis,” Ov. H. 4, 159: “gelu,” Hor. C. 1, 9, 4; cf. Lucr. 1, 495; Verg. G. 1, 93; so, “febris,” Cels. 2, 4: “morbus,” id. 3 (opp. longus), rapid.— Subst. with gen.: “acuta belli,” violent, severe misfortunes of war, Hor. C. 4, 4, 76 (= graves belli molestias).—

B. Fig.

1. Of intellectual qualities, acute, clear-sighted, intelligent, sagacious (very freq.): “Antisthenes homo acutus magis quam eruditus,” Cic. Att. 12, 37; so id. de Or. 1, 51; id. N. D. 1, 16; Nep. Dion. 8, 1: “homo ingenio prudentiāque acutissimus,” Cic. de Or. 1, 39: “acutae sententiae,” id. Opt. Gen. Or. 2, 5: “motus animorum ad excogitandum acuti,” id. Or. 1, 113: “studia,” id. Gen. 50: “conclusiones,” Quint. 2, 20, 5.—

2. In gramm.: accentus acutus, the acute accent (opp. gravis), Prisc. p. 159, ed. Lindem.—Comp. Plin. 13, 1, 2.—Adv.: ăcūte , sharply, keenly, acutely:. cernere, Lucr. 4, 804; ib. 811: “conlecta,” Cic. Deiot. 33: “excogitat,” Cic. Verr. 4, 147: “respondeo,” id. Cael. 17: “scribo,” Cic. Verr. 3, 20; so, ăcūtum : “cernis,” Hor. S. 1, 3, 26: “resonarent,” ib. 8, 41: and, ăcūta : canis ululat, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 9 Müll. (Ann. 346 Vahl.).—Comp., Cic. Inv. 2, 16.—Sup., Cic. Off. 1, 44; Cic. Verr. 3, 20.