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dī-mĭdĭus , a, um, adj. medius,
I.half (for the diff. between it and dimidiatus, v. dimidio).
I. As an adj., until the Aug. per. only in connection with pars, e. g.: “dimidiam partem nationum subegit,” Plaut. Curc. 3, 77; id. Aul. 4, 10, 37; id. Rud. 4, 4, 79; Lucr. 1, 618 sq.; 5, 720; Cic. N. D. 2, 40, 103; id. Rosc. Com. 11, 32; id. Fam. 13, 29, 4; Caes. B. G. 6, 31, 5; id. B. C. 1, 27; 3, 101 (twice); Sall. J. 64, 5; Suet. Caes. 42; Front. Strat. 2, 3, 21; Ov. F. 5, 122; id. Tr. 1, 2, 44 et saep.—
II. Since the Aug. per., esp. in poets, also with other substantives, instead of dimidiatus (v. dimidio), divided into two equal parts, halved: “mullus (opp. lupus totus),” Mart. 2, 37, 4: “crus,” Juv. 13, 95: “vultus,” id. 15, 57: “Memnone,” id. 15, 5: “forma circuli,” Plin. 2, 59, 60, § 150: “clepsydrae,” id. Ep. 6, 2, 5: “labro basia dare,” i. e. slightly, Mart. 2, 10 and 22; “so of busts: Priapus,” Mart. 11, 18; cf. Cicero's pun on the half-length likeness of his brother Quintus: frater meus dimidius major est quam totus, in Macr. S. 2, 3 (the word dimidius, for dimidiatus, belongs prob. to Macr. himself).—
III. Trop., so of persons of mixed descent: “dimidius patrum, dimidius plebis,” half patrician and half plebeian, Liv. 4, 2, 6. —Hence, subst.
A. dīmidium , ii, n., the half (very freq. in all periods and kinds of writing): horae, Lucil. ap. Gell. 3, 14, 11; so with gen., Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 73; id. Bacch. 5, 2, 67; 71 et saep.; absol., Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 87; id. Ps. 4, 7, 68; 5, 2, 29; id. Pers. 1, 2, 17 et saep.; abl. dimidio, with comparatives: “dimidio minus opinor,” less by half, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 35; Cic. Att. 9, 9, 2; id. Fl. 20, 46; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 33; Caes. B. G. 5, 13, 2; Hor. S. 2, 3, 318 et saep.—
2. Like a comp. with quam: “vix dimidium militum quam quod acceperat successori tradidit,” Liv. 35, 1, 2; 45, 18, 7.—Prov.: “dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet,” well begun is half done, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 40; cf. Aus. Ep. 81.—
B. Rarely dī-midia , ae, f. (sc. pars), the half: “verbenaca decocta in aqua ad dimidias,” Plin. 26, 12, 73, § 120.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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hide References (30 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (30):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 13.29.4
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 9.9.2
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 5.13.2
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 6.31.5
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.3.77
    • Cicero, For Quintus Roscius the Actor, 11.32
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 5.1
    • Plautus, Persa, 1.2
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 4.7
    • Plautus, Rudens, 4.4
    • Horace, Satires, 2.3.318
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.27
    • Plautus, Asinaria, 2.4
    • Plautus, Aulularia, 4.10
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 2.3
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 5.2
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 64
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 1.618
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.720
    • Suetonius, Divus Julius, 42
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 6.2.5
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 45, 18.7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 4, 2.6
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 35, 1.2
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.40
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 3.14.11
    • Ovid, Tristia, 1.2
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 11.18
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 2.10
    • Ovid, Fasti, 5
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