A.light, nimble, Hom. only in neut. pl. as Adv., κοῦφα ποσὶ προβιβάς stepping lightly on, Il.13.158, cf. Hes.Sc.323; “κοῦφα βιβῶν” Pi.O.14.16; “κ. ποσὶν ἄγ᾽ ἐς κύκλον” Ar.Th.954 (lyr.); also “κούφοις ποσί” Pi.O.13.114; “κουφοτάταις πτερύγων ἀκμαῖς” Ar.Ra.1353; “πήδημα κ. ἐκ νεὼς ἀφήλατο” A.Pers.305; “κ. ἐξᾶραι πόδα” S.Ant.224; “κ. ἅλμα” E.El.439 (lyr.); “κ. αἴρειν βῆμα” Id.Tr.343; “οὐ τοῖς κούφοις ὁ δρόμος” LXX Ec.9.11: metaph., κουφότεραι . . ἀπειράτων φρένες too buoyant, Pi.O. 8.61.
2. metaph., easy, light, τελεῖν . . κούφαν κτίσιν to make achievement easy, ib.13.83; “κ. εἰ δοίης τέλος” A.Th.260; κ. νύξ an easier night, of a sick person, Jul.Mis.342a (Comp.); “περίπατος” Sor.1.46; “τὸ ὅσιον ἅπαν κ. ἔργον” OGI383.120 (Nemrud Dagh, i B. C.); of government, light, κουφοτέραν βασιλείαν less oppressive, Isoc.9.51; “ἡ εὔκλεια κουφοτέρα φέρειν” X.Cyr.8.2.22; of an antagonist, easy-going, “κουφότατος ἦν κρατήσας” Id.Ages.11.12; “δεσπότην ἀπράγμονα καὶ κ. ἐξαπατᾷ θεράπων” Men.Per.Fr.1.
3. unsubstantial, airy, vain, “τὸ νέον . . κούφας ἀφροσύνας φέρον” S.OC1230 (lyr.); “οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν . . κούφην σκιάν” Id.Aj. 126; “ἐλπίδος τι εἶχον κούφης” Th.2.51; “κ. καὶ πτηνοὶ λόγοι” Pl.Lg.717c; κ. πρᾶγμα a trifle, ib.935a; κ. γράμματα a small letter, E.IT594; of persons, = κουφόνους, Hdn.5.7.1; τὸ κοῦφον τοῦ νοῦ levity, Paus.5.21.14, cf. Hdn.7.8.6.
4. light in point of weight, opp. βαρύς, Pl. Phlb.14d, R.438c (Comp.), etc.; κούφα σοι χθὼν ἐπάνωθε πέσοι may earth lie lightly on thee, E.Alc.462 (lyr.), cf. Hel.853; “κούφη σοι κόνις ἥδε πέλοι” IG14.1942.4; κούφη σεῖο γαῖ᾽ ὀστέα κεύθοι ib.329 (Himera); κ. πνεύματα light airs, S.Aj.558; “ὀστᾶ τε καὶ κ. κόνις” Men.538.3; “τὸ κουφότατον . . τῶν κακῶν . . πενία” Id.Kith.Fr.2.
b. Medic. in various uses, σικύαι κοῦφαι dry cuppings, Philum. ap. Orib.45.29.17, cf. Sor.2.11, etc.; also κούφου μένοντος τοῦ ἰοῦ on the surface, Philum.Ven.7.3; μὴν κ. the eighth month of pregnancy, Sor.1.56; of food, easy to digest, light, Arist.EN1141b18, etc.
c. of troops, light-armed, “οἱ κ. τῶν στρατιωτῶν” Hell.Oxy.6.4; “ὡπλισμένοι κουφοτέροις ὅπλοις” X. Mem.3.5.27; “κούφη στρατιά” Plu.Fab.11; “τὰ κ. τῆς δυνάμεως” Plb.10.25.2.
5. light, slight, “ἁμαρτήματα” Pl.Lg.863c; κουφότερα γυμνάσια, opp. ἀναγκαῖα, Arist. Pol.1338b40; κ. ἐργασίαι ib.1321a25.
6. empty, “κεράμια” Gp.7.24.2, cf. PLond.5.1656.6 (iv A. D.), PFlor.314.8(v. A. D.): hence as Subst., κοῦφον (sc. κεράμιον), τό, jar, in pl., POxy.1631.16 (iii A. D.), PFay. 133.6 (iv A. D.), PStrassb.1.10 (vi A. D.).
7. Act., relieving, assisting, “χερὶ κούφᾳ” Pi.P.9.11: prob. to be taken in this sense in Theoc. 11.3.
II. Adv. -φως lightly, nimbly, “κ. ὀροῦσαι” A.Eu.112; κ. ἐσκευασμένοι, of soldiers, Th.4.33; “ὡπλισμένοι” X.Mem.3.5.26, etc.; κ. ἔχειν to be relieved, Arist.Pr.873a16.
2. metaph., lightly, with light heart, “κουφότερον μετεφώνεε” Od.8.201; “κ. νοῆσαι” Sapph.Supp. 5.14; κ. φέρειν, opp. δεινῶς φ., E.Med.449, 1018; “ὡς κουφότατα φέρειν” Hdt.1.35; διάγουσα κούφως doing well, of a patient, Hp.Epid.1.26.δ́.
3. lightly, with ease, A.Pr.701.