I.v. dep. a., to speak out, speak plainly, to utter; to pronounce, declare, state, express: “eloqui hoc est, omnia quae mente conceperis promere atque ad audientes perferre,” Quint. 8 prooem. § 15 (class.).
I. In gen. (so most freq. in Plautus).
(α).
With acc.: “id quod sentit eloqui non posse,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 3, 6; so, “praeclare cogitata mentis,” id. Brut. 72 fin.: “audita,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 45: “nomen meum,” id. ib. prol. 18: “argumentum hujus tragoediae,” id. ib. 51; “96: rem, ut facta est,” id. ib. 4, 5, 8 et saep.: ille unum elocutus, ut memoria tenerent milites, etc., * Caes. B. C. 2, 34, 5: “Gratum elocuta consiliantibus Junone divis "Ilion, Ilion," etc.,” Hor. C. 3, 3, 17 et saep.—
(β).
Absol., Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 48; id. Curc. 2, 3, 29: “perge eloqui,” Ter. Ph. 4, 3, 36: “eloquar an sileam?” Verg. A. 3, 39 et saep.—
II. In partic., to speak in an oratorical or eloquent manner (only absol.): et Graece ab eloquendo ῥήτωρ et Latine eloquens dictus est, etc., Cic. Or. 19; cf. Quint. 10, 1, 3: “eloqui copiose melius est, quam vel acutissime sine eloquentia cogitare,” Cic. Off. 1, 44, 156; cf.: “composite, ornate, copiose eloqui,” id. de Or. 1, 11, 48: “eloquendi facultas,” Quint. 10, 1, 69 et saep.—Hence, ēlŏquens , entis, P. a.
II. Eloquent (for syn. cf.: “facundus, disertus, etc.): Is est eloquens, qui et humilia subtiliter et magna graviter et mediocria temperate potest dicere, etc.,” Cic. Or. 29, 100 sq.; cf. id. ib. 36, 19: “M. Antonius disertos ait se vidisse multos, eloquentem omnino neminem,” id. ib. 5, 18 sq.; id. de Or. 1, 21; Quint. 8 prooem. § 13; 12, 1, 21; cf. Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 5: “rhetor,” Cic. N. D. 2, 1: “senator (Cato),” Quint. 11, 1, 36: “vir,” Vulg. Act. 18, 24 et saep.—Comp., Quint. 12, 6, 6; App. Mag. p. 8 Bip.—Sup., Quint. 1, 1, 21; 4, 2, 58; 5, 13, 3; 8 prooem. § 13; Cic. Brut. 39, 145; Tac. Agr. 10 al.—Adv.: ēlŏquen-ter , eloquently: eloquenter, λογίως, Gloss. —Comp.: “eloquentius quam prius scribitur,” Plin. Ep. 3, 18, 6.—Sup.: “eloquentissime respondere,” Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 17; 6, 21, 4.!*? ēlŏcūtus , a, um, in pass. signif.: “an quaedam extrinsecus sint elocuta,” Dig. 3, 2, 13, § 6.