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grăvĭtas , ātis, f. gravis,
I.weight, heaviness.
I. Lit., in gen.: “omnibus ejus (terrae) partibus in medium vergentibus nihil interrumpat, quo labefactari possit tanta contentio gravitatis et ponderum,” Cic. N. D. 2, 45, 116; cf.: “per inane moveri gravitate et pondere,” id. Fat. 11, 24; Lucr. 3, 1054; cf. “also: cuncta necesse est Aut gravitate sua ferri primordia rerum, Aut, etc.,” id. 2, 84: “nostros propter gravitatem armorum, quod, etc.,” Caes. B. G. 5, 16, 1: “tum etiam gravitate et tarditate navium impediebantur,” id. B. C. 1, 58, 3: “ignava nequeunt gravitate moveri,” Ov. M. 2, 821: “me mea defendit gravitas (corresp. to moles and pondus),” id. ib. 9, 39.—
B. Transf.
1. Of smell, rankness, offensiveness, fetidness: “quorundam odorum suavitati gravitas inest,” Plin. 21, 7, 18, § 37: “a quibusdam vocatur cynozolon propter gravitatem odoris (shortly before: odore gravissimo),” id. 22, 18, 21, § 47: “animae,” id. 20, 9, 35, § 91: “halitus,” id. 30, 6, 15, § 44: “oris,” id. 28, 12, 51, § 190.—
2. Of bodily condition, health, severity, vehemence, violence, unwholesomeness; heaviness, dulness, faintness, sickness: “corpore vix sustineo gravitatem hujus caeli,” Cic. Att. 11, 22, 2: “caeli aquarumque,” Liv. 23, 34, 11: “loci,” id. 25, 26, 13: “morbi,” Cic. N. D. 3, 31, 76: “pressus gravitate soporis,” Ov. M. 15, 21; cf. id. ib. 11, 618: “an quod corporis gravitatem et dolorem animo judicamus, animi morbum corpore non sentimus?” painful, diseased condition, Cic. Tusc. 3, 1, 2 Kühn.; cf. “membrorum,” id. Fin. 4, 12, 31; and Lucr. 3, 478: “capitis,” Plin. 27, 12, 105, § 130: “aurium,” id. 20, 11, 44, § 115; cf. “auditus,” id. 23, 4, 42, § 85: “audiendi,” id. 28, 11, 48, § 176: “oris et dentium,” id. 37, 10, 54, § 143.—
3. Pressure of price, dearness: “annonae,” Tac. A. 6, 13; 11, 4.—
4. The burden of pregnancy: “tendebat gravitas uterum mihi,” Ov. M. 9, 287 (cf. onus, id. ib. 10, 504). —
II. Trop.
A. In a bad sense, heaviness, slowness, severity: “gaudere gravitate linguae sonoque vocis agresti,” Cic. de Or. 3, 11, 42: injuria gravitate tutior est, severity, cruelty, Sall. Orat. Licin. (Hist. Fragm. 3, 22 Gerl.): “fessi diuturnitate et gravitate belli,” Liv. 31, 7, 3: crudelitatem quoque gravitati addidit, id. 24, 45, 13 Weissenb. —
B. In a good sense, weight, dignity, importance, seriousness, gravity (syn.: magnitudo, dignitas, auctoritas, pondus): hos cum Suevi propter amplitudinem gravitatemque civitatis finibus expellere non potuissent, importance, i. e. power, Caes. B. G. 4, 3, 4; cf. Cic. Agr. 2, 32: “omnium sententiarum gravitate, omnium verborum ponderibus est utendum,” importance, weight, id. de Or. 2, 17, 72; cf. id. Tusc. 5, 12, 34: “genus hoc sermonum positum in hominum veterum auctoritate plus videtur habere gravitatis,” id. Lael. 1, 4: “quanta illa, di immortales, fuit gravitas! quanta in oratione majestas!” id. ib. 25, 96: “tristitia et in omni re severitas habet illa quidem gravitatem,” id. ib. 18, 66; cf.: “erat in illo viro comitate condita gravitas,” id. de Sen. 4, 10: “gravitate mixtus lepos,” id. Rep. 2, 1; cf. also id. Q. Fr. 3, 9, 1: “illud me praeclare admones, cum illum videro, ne nimis indulgenter et ut cum gravitate potius loquar,” id. Att. 9, 9, 2; 9, 19, 3; id. Fam. 5, 16, 5: “de virtute et gravitate Caesaris, quam in summo dolore adhibuisset,” id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 3: “personae gravitatem intuentes,” id. Tusc. 2, 21, 49; cf.: “ego has partes lenitatis et misericordiae semper egi libenter: illam vero gravitatis severitatisque personam non appetivi,” id. Mur. 3, 6: “haec genera dicendi in senibus gravitatem non habent,” id. Brut. 95, 326; id. Rep. 1, 10 fin.: “majestas quam vultus gravitasque oris prae se ferebat,” Liv. 5, 41, 8: “(senarius) quantum accipit celeritatis, tantum gravitatis amittit,” Quint. 9, 4, 140.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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hide References (43 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (43):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 5.16.5
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 11.22.2
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 9.9.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his brother Quintus, 3.8.3
    • Cicero, Letters to his brother Quintus, 3.9.1
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 4.3.4
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 5.16.1
    • Cicero, On the Agrarian Law, 2.32
    • Cicero, For Lucius Murena, 3.6
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 10.504
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 11.618
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 15.21
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 2.821
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 9.287
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 9.39
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.58.3
    • Tacitus, Annales, 6.13
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.17
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.11
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 2.84
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.1054
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.478
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 20.91
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 22.47
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 30.44
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 21.37
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 23, 34
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 25, 26
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 41.8
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 31, 7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 24, 45
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.10
    • Cicero, De Republica, 2.1
    • Cicero, De Fato, 11
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 4.12
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.45
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.31
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 1
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 2.21
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 3.1
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.12
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 4.140
    • Cicero, Brutus, 95.326
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