Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.in close contest, hand to hand (with the sword, etc.), Gr. συσταδόν; opp. eminus, also to missilia, sagittae, etc. (class.; most freq. in the histt.): quae mea comminus machaera atque hasta hostibit e manu, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 270, 29 Müll.: “nec eminus hastis aut comminus gladiis uteretur,” Cic. Sen. 6, 19; Ov. M. 3, 119: “undique ex insidiis barbari a fronte ab tergo coörti comminus eminus petunt,” Liv. 21, 34, 6; 31, 24, 15; Tac. A. 6, 35; 15, 4; App. M. 5, p. 164, 1: “neque ictu comminus neque conjectione telorum (pulsi),” Cic. Caecin. 15, 43: “jacula inutilia esse ... gladio comminus geri rem,” Liv. 44, 35, 12: “dum locus comminus pugnandi daretur,” Caes. B. C. 1, 58: “veterani... comminus acriter instare,” Sall. C. 60, 3; Liv. 27, 18, 14: “conferre signa,” id. 1, 33, 4: “conferre vires,” id. 42, 47, 8: “adversus resistentes niti,” Tac. A. 4, 51: “trucidato hostium duce,” Suet. Tib. 3.—

2. Poet., of copulation, Lucr. 4, 1051; “of fighting,” Stat. Th. 10, 213; App. M. 2, p. 122, 14.—

B. Trop.: “sed haec fuerit nobis tamquam levis armaturae prima orationis excursio: nunc comminus agamus,” Cic. Div. 2, 10, 26: “qui me epistulā petivit, ad te, ut video, comminus accessit,” has approached you in person, id. Att. 2, 2, 2: “in apros ire,” Ov. F. 5, 176; cf.: “agrestes comminus ire sues (for in sues),” Prop. 2 (3), 19, 22. “and so also of game: cervos obtruncant ferro,” Verg. G. 3, 374; “and of the preparation of the soil (considered as a contest with the same): jacto qui semine comminus arva Insequitur, i. e. manu sive rastro urget, exercet,” id. ib. 1, 104; cf. App. M. 2, p. 117, 16; Hand, Turs. II. p. 96.—

II. In gen., without the access. idea of contest, nigh at hand, near to, near, = prope, in or ex propinquo (not freq. before the Aug. per.): “prius Eminus ardescunt quam comminus imbuat ignis,” Lucr. 6, 904: “aspicit hirsutos comminus ursa Getas,” Ov. P. 1, 5, 74; Tac. A. 12, 12: “viso comminus armatorum agmine,” id. H. 1, 41; id. G. 8: “sole per eos dies comminus facto,” Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 55: aliquid comminus judicantur, near at hand, i.e. by the eyesight, Plin. 11, 42, 97, § 240; 35, 3, 6, § 17: “recipere a debitore suo pecuniam,” Dig. 13, 7, 3.—

B. Transf., of time, immediately, = statim, sine intermissione; a very common provincialism in Cisalpine Gaul, acc. to Serv. ad Verg. G. 1, 104.—

III. In postAug. poetry sometimes = ad manus, at hand: “comminus arma habere,” Val. Fl. 5, 583.