I.pliant, flexible, tough, tenacious, sticky, viscous (syn.: flexilis, tardus, serus).
I. Lit.: “viburna,” Verg. E. 1, 26: “vitis,” id. ib. 3, 38: “genistae,” id. G. 2, 12: “rami,” id. ib. 4, 558: “flagellum,” Phaedr. 3, 6, 6: “verbera,” i. e. produced with the limber whip, Verg. G. 3, 208: “argentum,” id. A. 7, 634; Cat. 61, 106; Tib. 4, 1, 171: “lentior salicis virgis,” Ov. M. 13, 800: “gluten visco et pice lentius,” tougher, more tenacious, Verg. G. 4, 41: “ita istaec nimis lenta vincla sunt escaria,” adhesive, tenacious, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 18; cf.: “lentis adhaerens brachiis,” Her. Epod. 15, 6: “quoniam mas (aron) esset in coquendo lentior,” Plin. 24, 16, 92, § 143.—
B. Transf., slow, sluggish, immovable: “tellus lenta gelu,” Prop. 4 (5), 3, 39. “amnis,” Plin. 36, 26, 65, § 190: “in lento luctantur marmore tonsae,” sluggish, motionless, Verg. A. 7, 28: “lento pilo,” Tib. 4, 1, 90: “asinus,” Phaedr. 1, 15, 7: “uteri pondera lenta,” immovable, heavy, Prop. 4 (5), 1, 96.(100): “herba durior et in coquendo lentior,” slower, longer, Plin. 24, 16, 92, § 143: “venenum,” Tac. A. 6, 32: “remedia,” Curt. 3, 5, 13; Suet. Tib. 73: “miserum populum Romanum, qui sub tam lentis maxillis erit,” id. ib. 21: “lentaque fori pugnamus harena,” Juv. 7, 47: “funus matris,” slow in coming, id. 6, 565.—
II. Trop.
A. Lasting or continuing long: “militiae,” Tib. 1, 3, 82: “amor,” id. 1, 4, 81: “spes,” Ov. H. 2, 9: “tranquillitatis lentissimae taedium,” Sen. Ep. 70: “lentus abesto,” remain long away, Ov. R. Am. 243: “vivacitas adeo lenta,” persistent, Plin. 8, 27, 41, § 100.—
B. Slow, lingering, lazy: “lentus in dicendo,” drawling, Cic. Brut. 48: “mortis genus,” Suet. Caes. 87: “si lentus pigrā muniret castra dolabra,” Juv. 8, 248: “ira deorum,” id. 13, 100.—
2. Of bad payers, slow, backward: “infitiatores,” Cic. Cat. 2, 10: “negotium,” tedious, id. Att. 1, 12; 1, 13 fin.—
C. Of character, easy, calm, indifferent, unconcerned, phlegmatic, sluggish, obstinate: “ut multa verba feci, ut lenta materies fuit,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 5, 4: “genus ridiculi patientis ac lenti,” Cic. de Or. 2, 69: “nimium patiens et lentus existimor,” id. ib. 2, 75: “Hannibalem lenti spectamus,” Liv. 22, 14: “lentus in suo dolore,” Tac. A. 3, 70: “tu, Tityre, lentus in umbra,” at ease, Verg. E. 1, 4: lentissima pectora, insensible, cold (to love), Ov. H. 15, 169.—*
D. (Pliant, hence) Ready, willing, Lucil. ap. Non. 22, 32, and 338, 13.—Hence, adv.: lentē , slowly, without haste, leisurely.
1. Lit.: “lente ac paulatim proceditur,” Caes. B. C. 1, 80: “currere,” Ov. Am. 1, 13, 40: “corpora lente augescunt, cito exstinguuntur,” Tac. Agr. 3: “Nilus evagari incipit, lente primo, deinde vehementius,” Plin. 18, 18, 47, § 167. —Comp.: “ipse cum reliquis copiis lentius subsequitur,” Caes. B. C. 2, 40.—Sup.: “asinus lentissime mandit,” Col. 2, 15.—*
2. Trop.
a. Calmly, dispassionately, indifferently: “aliquid lente ferre,” Cic. de Or. 2, 45, 190; cf. id. Fragm. ap. Non. 338, 9: “agere,” Liv. 1, 10: respondere, to answer cooly, phlegmatically, Cic. de Or. 2, 71, 287. —Comp.: “sed haec videri possunt odiosiora, cum lentius disputantur,” Cic. Par. 1, 2, 10: “quid lentius, celerius dicendum,” Quint. 1, 8, 1.—
b. In a good sense, calmly, considerately, attentively: “nisi eum (librum) lente ac fastidiose probavissem,” Cic. Att. 2, 1, 1.
