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lēnis , e, adj. cf. lentus,
I.soft, smooth, mild, gentle, easy, calm.
I. Lit.: “sensus judicat dulce, amarum: lene, asperum,” Cic. Fin. 2, 12, 36; id. N. D. 2, 58, 146: “vehemens fricatio spissat, lenis mollit,” Plin. 28, 4, 14, § 53: “vinum hoc asperum est: aliud lenius, sodes, vide,” Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 48: “lenibus venenis uti,” Cic. Att. 2, 21, 1: “lenissimus ventus,” id. ib. 7, 2, 1: “motus laterum,” moderate, gentle, Quint. 11, 3, 92; 161: “leni igni sucus coquitur,” Plin. 21, 18, 73, § 122.—Of the Nile: “postea lenis,” Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 54: “tormentum,” Hor. C. 3, 21, 13: “volatus,” Ov. M. 12, 527: “somnus,” Hor. C. 3, 1, 21.—Of heights, gently or gradually rising: “clivus,” Liv. 6, 24; cf. id. 29, 33.— Comp.: “jugum paulo leniore fastigio ab ea parte quae, etc.,” Caes. B. C. 2, 24; “so fastigium,” Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158.—
II. Trop., gentle, moderate, mild, lenient, calm.
A. In gen.: “servitutem lenem reddere,” Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 5: “Ecce me. Opusne (erit tibi) leni? leniorem dices quam mutumst mare,” id. Mil. 3, 1, 70: “homo lenis et facilis,” Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 9: “populus Romanus in hostes lenissimus,” id. Rosc. Am. 53, 154: “lenissima verba,” id. Fam. 5, 15, 1: “lenissimum ingenium,” id. Brut. 56, 204: lenior sententia, Caes. B. C. 1, 2: lene consilium dare, Hor C. 3, 4, 41.—
(β). With inf.: “non lenis precibus fata recludere Mercurius,” Hor. C. 1, 24, 17.—
B. In partic.
1. Of speech, mild, gentle: “oratio placida, submissa, lenis,” Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 183: “lenis et fluens contextus orationis,” Quint. 9, 4, 127: “leniores epilogi,” id. 6, 1, 50.—
2. In gram.: spiritus, the spiritus lenis, the smooth or soft breathing (opp. the spiritus asper), Prisc. p. 572 P.— Hence, adv. in two forms.
A. lēne (only poet.), softly, mildly, gently: “sectus humum rivo, lene sonantis aquae,” Ov. F. 2, 704: “clivi lene jacentes,” gently rising, Calp. Ecl. 7, 25: “lene fluens fons,” Nemes. Ecl. 4, 47: “lene Notus spirat,” Avien. Descript. Orb. 857.—
B. lēnĭter (class. ), softly, mildly, gently.
1. Lit.: “leniter arridens,” Cic. Rep. 6, 12, 12: “leniter atterens Caudam,” Hor. C. 2, 19, 30: “ventus leniter pluvius,” Plin. 18, 34, 77, § 337: “leniter ire per excubias custodum,” Ov. Am. 1, 6, 7: collis leniter acclivis, gradually or gently rising, Caes. B. G. 7, 19; so, “editus collis,” Liv. 2, 50.—Comp.: “torrens lenius decurrit,” Ov. M. 3, 568.—
2. Trop., quietly, calmly, gently, moderately, leniently.
a. In gen.: “tentem leniter an minaciter?” Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 20: “petere quippiam ab aliquo dictis bonis,” id. Am. prol. 25: “ferre aliquid,” Ov. H. 5, 7: “traducere aevum,” Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 97: “nimis leniter latam suam injuriam ratus,” Liv. 29, 9 (al. leviter).—Sup.: “lenissime sentire,” Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 9.—
b. In partic.
(α). Of speech: “multa leniter, multa aspere dicta sunt,” Cic. Brut. 44, 164: “agit versum Roscius quam leniter, quam remisse, quam non actuose,” id. de Or. 3, 26, 102.—Comp.: “qui jamdiu multo dicis remissius et lenius quam solebas,” Cic. de Or. 1, 60, 255.—
(β). Moderately, i. e. very little, not at all: “hoc leniter laudabitis,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 3, 40; 3, 3, 9: “leniter qui saeviunt sapiunt magis,” id. Bacch. 3, 3, 4.—
(γ). In a bad sense, remissly, indolently: “si cunctetur atque agat lenius,” too slowly, Caes. B. C. 1, 1.
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 (34 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (34):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 5.15.1
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 5.2.9
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 2.21.1
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 7.19
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 53.154
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 12.527
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 3.568
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 5.3
    • Plautus, Stichus, 1.2
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.1
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.2
    • Caesar, Civil War, 2.24
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 1.prol
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 3.3
    • Plautus, Captivi, 2.1
    • Plautus, Miles Gloriosus, 3.1
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.60
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.43
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.26
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 28.53
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 5.54
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 24
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 29, 33
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 29, 9
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 50
    • Cicero, De Republica, 6.12
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 2.12
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.58
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 1.50
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 4.127
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.161
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.92
    • Cicero, Brutus, 44.164
    • Ovid, Fasti, 2
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