I.a bending, turning, winding (class.; in sing. and plur.).
I. Lit.: “aures duros et quasi corneolos habent introitus, multisque cum flexibus,” Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 144; cf. Quint. 6, 13, 9: “ut qui cursu parum valent, flexu eludunt,” id. 9, 2, 78: “cum venissem ad pontem, in quo flexus est ad iter Arpinas,” Cic. Att. 16, 13, a, 1; cf.: “in aliquo flexu viae,” Liv. 22, 12, 7: “implicatae flexibus vallium viae,” id. 32, 4, 4: “Rhenus modico flexu in occidentem versus,” Tac. G. 1: “flexu Armeniam petivit,” id. A. 12, 12: “alio flexu reduci ad viam,” Quint. 2, 17, 29: “(quo pacto sol) Brumales adeat flexus,” Lucr. 5, 616: “brumales,” id. 5, 640: “metae,” the turn round the goal, Pers. 3, 63: “labyrinthei,” the mazes, Cat. 64, 114: “capilli dociles et centum flexibus apti,” Ov. Am. 1, 14, 13: in litore flexus Mecybernaeus, the bay or gulf, Mela, 2, 3 init.; cf. id. 3, 1.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., a turning, transition into another state, political change: “id enim est caput civilis prudentiae, videre itinera flexusque rerum publicarum,” Cic. Rep. 2, 25, 46: “in hoc flexu quasi aetatis fama adolescentis paululum haesit ad metas (the figure taken from the turning of the racers on reaching the goal),” id. Cael. 31, 75; cf.: “si infinitus forensium rerum labor decursu honorum et jam aetatis flexu constitisset, i. e. senectus,” id. de Or. 1, 1, 1: “flexu auctumni (= post medium tempus auctumni, trop. from turning the meta in the Circus),” Tac. H. 5, 23; v. Orell. ad h. 1.—
B. In partic. (post-Aug.).
1. An artful turning, winding, shifting: “inde recta fere est actio, hinc mille flexus et artes desiderantur,” Quint. 5, 13, 2: “qui haec recta tantum, et in nullos flexus recedentia tractaverit,” id. 10, 5, 12. —
2. Of the voice, inflection, modulation, variation: “citharoedi simul et sono vocis et plurimis flexibus serviunt,” Quint. 1, 12, 3: “quid quoque flexu dicendum,” id. 1, 8, 1: “qui flexus deceat miserationem,” id. 1, 11, 12; 1, 8, 3.—
3. In gram., inflection, variation, derivation (in Varro flexura, v. h. v.): quid vero? quae tota positionis ejusdem in diversos flexus eunt? cum Alba faciat Albanos et Albenses; “volo, volui et volavi,” Quint. 1, 6, 15.