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impĕtus (inp- ), ūs (dat. impetu, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 24, 3; no
I.gen. plur.; abl. impetibus, Lucr. 1, 293; v. also impes), m. impeto, an attack, assault, onset (freq. and class.; in sing. and plur. equally common).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “incursio atque impetus armatorum,Cic. Caecin. 15, 44: “gladiis destrictis in eos impetum fecerunt,Caes. B. G. 1, 25, 2: “impetum facere in aliquem,id. ib. 1, 46 fin.; Hirt. B. G. 8, 18, 4: “in agros,Liv. 1, 5, 4: “ad regem,id. 1, 5, 7; cf.: “in hostes,Caes. B. G. 1, 22, 3: “dare impetum in aliquem,Liv. 4, 28, 1; 2, 19, 7: “capere impetum in aliquem,Plin. 9, 30, 48, § 91: “hostes impetu facto celeriter nostros perturbaverunt,Caes. B. G. 4, 12, 1: “oppidum magno impetu oppugnare,id. ib. 2, 6: “primo hostium impetu pulsi,id. ib. 2, 24, 1: “impetus gladiorum excipere,id. ib. 1, 52, 4: “impetum sustinere,id. ib. 3, 2, 4: “ferre impetum,id. ib. 3, 19, 3: “fracto impetu levissimi hominis,Cic. Fam. 1, 5, b, 2: “impetum propulsare,id. Mur. 1, 2: “nec primum quidem impetum, nec secundum, nec tertium, sustinere potuerunt,Flor. 3, 3, 4; Liv. 33, 36, 11: “uno impetu,Curt. 8, 14, 18; Lact. 3, 26, 10; 5, 4, 1: “coërcere,Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 180: “aquarum domare,id. 31, 6, 31, § 58: “nec tantum (cupiditates) in alios caeco impetu incurrunt, etc.,Cic. Fin. 1, 13, 44.— Poet.: biformato impetu Centaurus, with double - shaped attack, Cic. poët. Tusc. 2, 8 fin.; v. biformatus.—
B. In partic.
1. In medic. lang., an attack of a disease, a fit, paroxysm: “febris,Cels. 2, 15: “pituitae,Plin. 28, 12, 50, § 183: “coeliacorum,id. 20, 14, 53, § 148: oculorum, i. e. inflammation, id. 20, 3, 8, § 16: “thymum e vino tumores et impetus tollit,id. 21, 21, 89, § 157; so absol., id. 22, 25, 58, § 122. —
2. In mechanics, the pressure of a load, Vitr. 6, 3.—
II. Transf., in gen. (without reference to an object), violent impulse, violent or rapid motion, impetus, impetuosity, violence, fury, vehemence, vigor, force.
A. Physical: labitur uncta carina, volat super impetus undas, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 379 Vahl.): “in magno impetu maris atque aperto,Caes. B. G. 3, 8, 1: “Hebri,Phaedr. 3, prol. 59: “impetus caeli,” i. e. rapid motion, Cic. N. D. 2, 38, 97; Lucr. 5, 200. — Hence also poet.: quieti corpus nocturno impetu Dedi, in the nocturnal revolution, i. e. in the night, Att. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 22, 44: “impetus ipse animaï Et fera vis venti,Lucr. 6, 591; cf.: “tantos impetus ventorum sustinere,Caes. B. G. 3, 13, 6.—
B. Mental, impulse, vehemence, ardor, passion, etc.
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hide References (44 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (44):
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 11.5.1
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.22.3
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.25.2
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 3.13.6
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 3.8.1
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 4.12.1
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 8.18.4
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 10.24.3
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 10.5.2
    • Cicero, For Aulus Caecina, 15.44
    • Cicero, For Lucius Murena, 1.2
    • Cicero, For King Deiotarius, 2.5
    • Vitruvius, On Architecture, 6.3
    • Tacitus, Agricola, 39
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 1.293
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.200
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.591
    • Suetonius, Otho, 9
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 7.9
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 20.16
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 9.91
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 2.19.2
    • A. Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina, 2.15
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 42, 29
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 5.7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 4, 28.1
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 37, 19.5
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 33, 36.11
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 5.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 19.7
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.5
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 1.13
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.38
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 17
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.22
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.49
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 4.22
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.15
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 2.3
    • Statius, Thebias, 10
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 5.12.1
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 8.14.18
    • Cicero, Orator, 68.229
    • Cicero, De Inventione, 2.54
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