Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.the quality of being astutus, orig. (like acumen, dolus, etc.) dexterity, adroitness, and also (eccl. Lat.) understanding, wisdom: Quibus (feris) abest ad praecavendum intellegendi astutia, Pac. ap. Cic. Fin. 5, 11, 31 (Trag. Rel. p. 122 Rib.): “ut detur parvulis astutia,” Vulg. Prov. 1, 4: “intellegite, parvuli, astutiam,” ib. ib. 8, 5.—But very early used in a bad sense, cunning, slyness, subtlety, craft as a habit (most freq. in ante-class. and Ciceron. Lat.; “afterwards supplanted by astus, q. v.): est nobis spes in hac astutiā,” Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 53: “nec copiast [Me expediundi], nisi si astutiam aliquam corde machinor,” id. ib. 3, 3, 15 Fleck.; 3, 4, 7; id. Ep. 3, 2, 27; id. Mil. 2, 2, 82: “nunc opus est tuā Mihi ad hanc rem expromptā malitiā atque astutiā,” Ter. And. 4, 3, 8; id. Heaut. 4, 3, 32: “quod si aut confidens astutia aut callida esset audacia, vix ullo obsisti modo posset,” Cic. Clu. 65, 183: “quae tamen non astutiā quādam, sed aliquā potius sapientiā secutus sum,” id. Fam. 3, 10, 9: “qui (Deus) adprehendit sapientes in astutiā eorum,” Vulg. Job, 5, 13; ib. 1 Cor. 3, 19; ib. Ephes. 4, 14.—Also plur.: “in regionem astutiarum mearum te induco,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 78; so id. Ep. 3, 2, 39: “Hem astutias,” Ter. And. 3, 4, 25 Don.: “aliter leges, aliter philosophi tollunt astutias,” Cic. Off. 3, 17, 68; 3, 17, 61.