I.to lessen, diminish a thing (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.; cf. diminuo, comminuo).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “si istas exiguas copias quam minime imminueris,” Cic. Fam. 3, 3, 2: “pondus,” Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 47.—
B. Pregn., to weaken, impair, enfeeble: “corpus otio, animum libidinibus imminuebant,” Tac. H. 2, 93; cf.: “Gauda, morbis confectus, et ob eam caussam mente paululum inminuta,” Sall. J. 65, 1: “vires (Venus),” Lucr. 5, 1017; cf. ib. 626.—In mal. part.: “virginem,” App. Flor. p. 350; Lact. 1, 10 fin.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., to lessen, diminish, abate: “aestivorum tempus comitiorum mora imminuerat,” Sall. J. 44, 3: “quod populi semper proprium fuit, quod nemo imminuit, nemo mutavit,” Cic. Agr. 2, 7, 19: “imminuitur aliquid de voluptate,” id. de Or. 1, 61, 259: “nihil ex consuetudine luxus atque desidiae,” Suet. Ner. 42: “postquam se dolor imminuit,” Ov. H. 15, 113: “verbum imminutum,” contracted, Cic. Or. 47, 157.—
B. In partic., pregn., to encroach upon, to violate, injure, subvert, ruin, destroy: “nullum jus tam sanctum atque integrum, quod non ejus scelus atque perfidia violarit et imminuerit,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 38, 109: “cupiditas imminuta ac debilitata,” id. Phil. 12, 3, 7: “bellum attenuatum atque imminutum,” id. de Imp. Pomp. 11, 30: “pudicitiam,” Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 90: “auctoritatem,” Cic. Att. 1, 18, 5; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 27, § 60: “jus legationis,” id. ib. 2, 1, 33, § “84: laudem alicujus,” id. Att. 14, 17, A, 2: “libertatem,” id. Caecin. 12, 35: “Bocchi pacem,” Sall. J. 81, 4: “mentes hominum (ebrietas),” Gell. 15, 2, 4: “Agrippa discidio domum imminuerat,” Tac. A. 2, 86.—With acc. pers. only in Tac.: “quamquam Augusta se violari et imminui quereretur,” Tac. A. 2, 34: “perculso Seneca, promptum fuit Rufum Fenium imminuere,” id. ib. 14, 57.—Hence, immĭnūtus , a, um, P. a., diminished, smaller, weak: “mens,” Tac. A. 6, 46: “modus intercalandi interdum cumulatior, interdum imminutior,” Sol. 1, § 44
