I. Act., to make smaller, to lessen, diminish; lit. and trop.
A. Lit. (rare and mostly poet.): “ramaliaque arida tecto Detulit, et minuit,” broke in pieces, Ov. M. 8, 645: “ligna,” to chop into small pieces, id. F. 2, 647: “portarum objectus,” to dash in pieces, Stat. Th. 10, 526: “dentes in limine,” id. ib. 10, 47: “sanguinem,” to let blood, Veg. Vet. 1, 16, 2; “in the same signif., simply minuere,” id. ib. 1, 22, 1.—
B. Trop., to lessen, diminish, lower, reduce, weaken, abate, restrict (very freq. and class.): “imperium matris,” Plaut. As. 3, 1, 6: “sumptus civitatum,” Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 2: “(rem familiarem),” Hor. S. 2, 3, 177: “gradum,” Quint. 2, 3, 7: “gloriam alicujus,” Cic. Fl. 12, 28: “molestias vitae,” id. Fin. 1, 16, 51: “cupiditates,” id. ib.: “invidiam,” id. Agr. 1, 5, 14: “opem,” Caes. B. G. 5, 33: “auctoritatem,” id. B. C. 3, 43: “minuuntur corporis artus,” grow less, diminish in size, Ov. M. 7, 317: “minuuntur corpora siccis,” Plin. 11, 54, 118, § 283: “consul alter proelio uno et vulnere suo minutus,” discouraged, Liv. 21, 52, 2 (al. deminutus): “suspicionem profectionis,” Cic. Att. 10, 16, 4: “controversias,” to settle, put an end to, Caes. B. G. 5, 26: “minuenda est haec opinio,” to be refuted, Cic. Off. 1, 22, 72: “magistratum, censuram,” to restrict the power of, to limit, Liv. 4, 24: “majestatem populi Romani per vim,” to violate, offend against, Cic. Phil. 1, 9, 21: “matris imperium,” Plaut. As. 3, 1, 6: “religionem,” Nep. Ages. 4, 8: “nec tu ea causa minueris Haec quae facis, ne is mutet suam sententiam,” Ter. And. 2, 3, 19: “consilium,” to alter, change, id. Hec. 4, 3, 10: “condemnationem,” to commute, Gai. Inst. 3, 224; 4, 57.—
II. Neutr., to diminish, grow less: “minuente aestu,” at the ebbing of the tide, Caes. B. G. 3, 12, 1: “minuente lunā,” waning, Pall. 3, 24; Sedul. 1, 243; cf.: “crescentis minuentisque sideris species,” Plin. 37, 10, 67, § 181.—Hence, mĭnūtus , a, um, P. a. (diminished; hence), little, small, minute (class.).
A. Lit.: pueri minuti (opp. majores), Varr. ap. Non. 141, 18: id omnes magni minutique, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 45.—Of things: “litterae,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 68: “minuta ac brevia folia,” Plin. 12, 24, 53, § 111: “ossa,” Lucr. 1, 835: “opuscula,” Cic. Ac. 2, 38, 120: “itinera,” Suet. Aug. 82: “aere minuto qualiacumque somnia vendere,” Juv. 6, 546: “facies minutae,” miniature portraits, id. 14, 291.—Comp.: “minutior ac mage pollens,” Lucr. 4, 318.—Sup.: “minutissimis ictibus excarnificatus,” Suet. Vit. 17: “res,” little things, trifles, Cic. Clu. 64, 180: “res minutissimae et contemptibiles,” Aug. Conf. 10, 35, 4: “aves,” Col. 8, 5, 10.—
B. Trop., petty, paltry, insignificant.
1. Of persons: “alii minuti et angusti,” Cic. Fin. 1, 18, 61: “philosophi,” id. Div. 1, 30, 62: “imperatores,” id. Brut. 73, 256: “plebes,” Phaedr. 4, 6, 13.—
2. Of things: canto carmina versibus minutis, Poët. ap. Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 4: “genus orationis,” Cic. de Or. 2, 38, 159: “minuti est animi voluptas ultio,” Juv. 13, 189.— Hence, subst.: mĭnūtum , i, n., the smallest piece of money, a mite, farthing: “novissimum reddere,” Vulg. Luc. 12, 59; cf.: “aes minutum,” id. ib. 21, 2.—Plur.
(α).
The little (opp. longa), Calp. Ecl. 5, 7.—
(β).
Minutes, points, very small parts, Amm. 20, 3, 2; Gram. Vet. p. 374, 11.—
(γ).
Comp.: “illa minutiora,” those less important matters, Aur. Vict. Epit. 48, 18.—Hence, adv., in two forms.
1. mĭnūtē , into small or fine pieces, finely, minutely (class.).
A. Lit.: “sal minute tritus,” Col. 6, 17, 7: “minutissime commolere,” id. 12, 28, 1: “historia minutissime scripta,” in an extremely small hand, Sen. Ep. 95, 2.—
B. Trop.
2. mĭnūtim , into small pieces, finely, minutely (ante-class. and post-Aug.): “concidere,” Cato, R. R. 123: “scoria minutim fracta,” Plin. 34, 18, 51, § 171; Gell. 17, 8, 2.—
B. With short steps, trippingly: “equus ambulans,” Veg. Vet. 1, 56, 39: “deambulare,” id. ib. 2, 53, 3.
