I.to file.
I. Lit.: “gemmis scalpendis atque limandis,” Plin. 36, 7, 10, § 54.—
B. Transf.
1. To file off: “plumbum limatum,” lead-filings, Plin. 34, 18, 50, § 168: “limata scobs,” id. ib.: “cornum limatum lima lignaria,” Scrib. 141: “acumen ossis,” Cels. 8, 10, 7.—
2. To rub, whet: “cornu ad saxa limato,” Plin. 8, 20, 29, § 71; “hence, limare caput cum aliquo,” to kiss, Plaut. Merc. 3, 1, 40; id. Poen. 1, 2, 82.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., to file, polish, finish: “quaedam institui, quae limantur a me politius,” Cic. Ac. 1, 1, 2: “stilus hoc maxime ornat ac limat,” id. de Or. 3, 49, 190: “ut ars aliquid limare non possit,” id. ib. 1, 25, 115: “vir nostrorum hominum urbanitate limatus,” id. N. D. 2, 29, 74.—
B. In partic.
1. To investigate accurately, to clear of every thing superfluous: “veritas ipsa limatur in disputatione,” Cic. Off. 2, 10, 35: “subtiliter mendacium,” Phaedr. 3, 10, 49. —
2. Cum se ipse consulto ad minutarum causarum genera limaverit, has prepared one's self thoroughly for, Cic. Opt. Gen. Or. 3, 9.—
3. To file off, take away from, diminish: “tantum alteri affinxit, de altero limavit,” Cic. de Or. 3, 9, 36: “de tua prolixa beneficaque natura limavit aliquid posterior annus,” id. Fam. 3, 8, 8: “commoda alicujus,” Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 38: “multum inde decoquent anni, multum ratio limabit,” Quint. 2, 4, 7. —Hence, līmātus , a, um, P. a., polished, refined, elegant, fine, accurate: “vir oratione maxime limatus,” Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 180: “jure madens, varioque togae limatus in usu,” Mart. 7, 51, 5: “pressum limatumque genus dicendi,” Quint. 2, 8, 4; 11, 1, 3: “Attici,” id. 12, 10, 17.—Comp.: “limatius dicendi genus,” Cic. Brut. 24, 93: “comis et urbanus fuerit limatior idem,” Hor. S. 1, 10, 65: “limatius ingenium,” Plin. Ep. 1, 20, 21.—Hence, adv.: līmātē , finely, elegantly, accurately; comp.: “limatius scriptum,” Cic. Fin. 5, 5, 12: “limatius quaerere,” Amm. 15, 13, 2.
