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ob-tundo , tŭdi, tūsum (and tunsum), 3, v. a.
I. To strike or beat against, at, or on a thing; to beat, thump, belabor (very rare; “perh. only ante- and post-class.): pectora pugnis, Firm. Math. 5, 5: obtundit os mihi,breaks my jaw, Plaut. Cas. 5, 2, 50; cf.: “obtunso ore,id. ib. 5, 1, 8; cf.: “nam sum obtusus pugnis pessume,id. Am. 2, 1, 59.—
II. To blunt, dull, by striking.
A. Lit. (very rare): “telum,Lucr. 6, 399: “gladios,Claud. Cons. Mall. Theod. 166.—
B. Transf.
2. Aures or aliquem, or simply obtundere, to stun or din the ears; to deafen one by saying a thing too often or too long; hence, to annoy or tease with importunity; aures graviter obtundo tuas, ne quem ames, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 120: ne brevitas defraudasse aures videatur, neve longitudo obtudisse, Cic. Or. 66, 221: “aliquem longis epistulis,to annoy, molest, id. Att. 8, 1: “aliquem,id. Fam. 5, 14, 3: “rogitando,Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 6.—With object-clause: obtuderunt ejus aures, te socium praetoris fuisse, they dinned into him that, etc., Timarch. ap. Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 67, § 157.— With subj.: “non cessat obtundere, totam prorsus a principio fabulam promeret,App. M. 9, p. 228, 8: “aliquem de aliquā re,to importune, annoy, Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 33: “obtundis, tametsi intellego, etc.,id. And. 2, 2, 11.—Hence, obtūsus (obtunsus or optūsus ), a, um, P. a., blunt, dull, obtuse (class.).
B. Transf., blunted, blunt, dull, weak, faint, powerless: “animi acies obtusior,Cic. Sen. 23, 83: “stellis acies obtunsa,Verg. G. 1, 395: obtusi et hebetes ad aliquam rem, Cic. Fragm. ap. Lact. 3, 14: “aures obtunsae,blunted, dull of hearing, Auct. Her. 3, 9, 17: vox, thick, not clear (opp. clara), Quint. 11, 3, 15: “fauces tumentes strangulant vocem, optusae obscurant,id. 11, 3, 20: “stomachus,weakened, spoiled, Plin. Ep. 7, 3, 5: “obtunsa pectora,insensible, without feeling, Verg. A. 1, 567: “ingenium,Gell. 13, 24, 21: “vires,enfeebled, Lucr. 3, 452: “nimio ne luxu obtunsior usus Sit genitali arvo,too blunted, too enfeebled, Verg. G. 3, 135: “vigor animi,Liv. 5, 18: “cor,Lact. 2, 5, 4: “sensus eorum,Vulg. 2 Cor. 3, 14: “venenum,powerless, Calp. Ecl. 5, 94.—Comp.: “quo quid dici potest obtusius?Cic. N. D. 1, 25, 70.—Sup. does not occur.—Hence, adv.: obtūsē , dully, not keenly (postclass.): “crocodili in aquā obtusius vident, in terrā acutissime,Sol. 32, § 28.—Fig.: “hoc facere obtuse,Aug. Doct. Christ. 4, 5, § 7.
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hide References (30 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (30):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 5.14.3
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 8.1
    • New Testament, 2 Corinthians, 3.14
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.3.157
    • Plautus, Cistellaria, 1.1
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.567
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.262
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.395
    • Vergil, Georgics, 3.135
    • Tacitus, Annales, 15.54
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 2.1
    • Plautus, Casina, 5.2
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.70
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.24
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.452
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 4.355
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 4.613
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.399
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 24.87
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 7.3.5
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 18
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 7, 2
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.25
    • Cicero, De Senectute, 23
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 1.33
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 3.16
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.15
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.20
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 4.24.21
    • Cicero, Orator, 66.221
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