LAT
brevis
JSON
Lewis Short
(adj.adv.adv.) : brĕvis, e, adj. (abl. breve, Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 2;
* Comp. abl. breviore, Ov. Am. 2, 17, 22) [cf. βραχύς, Fest. p. 26], short, little, of small extent, in space and time (opp. longus; in space, in good class. prose, diff. from parvus, which designates that which fills a small space in length, breadth, and thickness; while brevis is used only of length in its different directions of breadth, height, or depth; and even of a circle, as merely a line, and without reference to the space enclosed, v.infra. In poets and postAug. prose brevis sometimes = parvus).
* Lit., in space.
* In distance, extent, short, little, small, narrow (opp. latus), Cic. Ac. 2, 29, 92: brevior via,Nep. Eum. 8, 5; Tib. 1, 10, 4: via brevis,Verg. E. 9, 23; Ov. M. 5, 253; Juv. 14, 223: cursus brevissimus,Verg. A. 3, 507: brevius iter,Ov. P. 1, 4, 32: cursu brevissimus Almo,id. M. 14, 329: quid mihi, quod lato non separor aequore, prodest? Num minus haec nobis tam brevis obstat aqua?so narrow a stream,id. H. 18, 174; cf. also brevis unda, opp. latum mare,id. ib. 19, 141 and 142: non Asiam brevioris aquae disterminat usquam fluctus ab Europā,Luc. 9, 957 (strictioris, Schol.); cf. id. 9, 317: brevissima terra,Plin. Ep. 10, 69, 2: in Euboico scopulus brevis emicat altō Gurgite,a small, narrow rock,Ov. M. 9, 226: brevibus Gyaris,Juv. 1, 73: scis In breve te cogi (sc. libellum),that you are closely rolled together,Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 8: quo brevius valent,the nearer, the more powerful are they in conflict,Tac. A. 6, 35.
* Transf., of time.
* In height, short, small, low (opp. altus and sometimes longus); of the human figure: sed sedebat judex L. Aurifex, brevior ipse quam testis,Cic. de Or. 2, 60, 245: ut statura breves in digitos eriguntur,Quint. 2, 3, 8: forma,Ov. M. 5, 457: (puella) longa brevisque,id. Am. 2, 4, 36: brevis corpore,Suet. Galb. 3; id. Vit. Hor.—Of a maiden changed to a boy: et incomptis brevior mensura capillis,Ov. M. 9, 789.— Of other things: ut pleraque Alpium ab Italiā sicut breviora, ita arrectiora sunt,lower,Liv. 21, 35, 11: brevior ilex,Sen. Herc. Oet. 1641: mus,little,Ov. F. 2, 574.
* In depth, small, little, shallow (opp. profundus): puteus,Juv. 3, 226: vada,Verg. A. 5, 221; Sen. Agam. 570.—Hence, subst.: brĕvia, ium, n., as in Gr. τὰ βραχέα, shallow places, shallows, shoals: tris Eurus ab alto In brevia et syrtis urget,Verg. A. 1, 111 (brevia vadosa dicit, per quae vadi pedibus potest, Serv.); Luc. 9, 338: neque discerni poterant incerta ab solidis, brevia a profundis, Tac. A. 1, 70: brevia litorum,id. ib. 6, 33 fin.—Perh. also in sing.: breve,Tac. A. 14, 29 Draeg. ad loc. (Ritter, brevia; al. breve litus).
* Trop.: brevia, in quibus volutatur, incerta, ancipitia,difficulties,Sen. Ep. 22, 7.
* Of the line of a circle: ubi circulus (i.e. arcticus) axem Ultimus extremum spatioque brevissimus ambit,makes the shortest path,Ov. M. 2, 517; cf. of similar orbits, of stars: absides breviores,Plin. 2. 15, 13, § 63.—Of the circular course of a horse on the track: discit gyro breviore flecti,Sen. Hippol. 314.
* Lit. (the usu. signif. of the word), short, brief, small, little.
* In gen.: quanto, nox, fuisti longior hac proxumā, Tanto brevior dies ut fiat faciam,Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 51: breve spatium'st perferundi quae minitas mihi,id. Capt. 3, 5, 85: brevis hora,Lucr. 4, 179; so Ov. M. 4, 696: Pa. Brevin' an longinquo sermone? Mi. Tribus verbis, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 30: occasio,Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 57; Phaedr. 5, 8, 5: brevis hic est fructus homulleis,short is this enjoyment for little men,Lucr. 3, 927; cf.: MORS. PERFECIT. TVA. VT. TIBE. ESSENT. OMNIA. BREVIA. HONOS. FAMA. VIRTVSQVE. GLORIA. ATQVE. INGENIVM.,Inscr. Orell. 558: omnia brevia tolerabilia esse debent,Cic. Lael. 27, 104; id. Fin. 1, 12, 40; 2, 29, 94; id. Tusc. 1, 39, 94; Sen. Ira, 3, 43, 5: quoniam vita brevis est, memoriam nostri quam maxime longam efficere,Sall. C. 1, 3; so, vitae summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longam,Hor. C. 1, 4, 15; cf. id. ib. 1, 11, 6: aut omnia breviora aliquanto fuere, aut Saguntum principio anni captum,occupied a shorter time,Liv. 21, 15, 5: brevissimum tempus,id. 5, 6, 7: detrimentum,Quint. 11, 1, 10: arbitrium mortis,Tac. A. 15, 60: breves populi Romani amores,id. ib. 2, 41: tempus,Suet. Ner. 20 al.: nobis quom semel occidit brevis lux, nox est perpetua una dormienda,Cat. 5, 5: fructus,Lucr. 3, 914: aevum,Hor. C. 2, 16, 17; id. S. 2, 6, 97; id. Ep. 2, 1, 144; Plin. Pan. 78, 2: anni,Hor. C. 4, 13, 22: ver,Ov. M. 1, 118; 10, 85: flores rosae,quickly withering, short-lived,Hor. C. 2, 3, 13: lilium,id. ib. 1, 36, 16: cena,frugal,id. Ep. 1, 14, 35: mensa,id. A. P. 198: dominus,living but a short time,id. C. 2, 14, 24: stultitia,id. ib. 4, 12, 27: ira furor brevis est,id. Ep. 1, 2, 62: actio brevis atque concisa,Quint. 6, 4, 2: somnus,Sen. Troad. 441: nec gratius quicquam decore nec brevius,nothing is more acceptable, but nothing more perishable, fading, than beauty,Suet. Dom. 18: domus,Sen. Hippol. 762: fortuna,Sil. 4, 734.
* Transf. to things done or taking place in a short time; so most freq.
* Comp. brevius, with subj. clause, shorter, i.e. easier, more convenient: brevius visum urbana crimina incipi, quorum obvii testes erant,Tac. A. 13, 43: modo ne existimes brevius esse ab urbe mitti, Trag. ap. Plin. Ep. 10, 40 (49), 3.
* For parvus, exiguus, little, small: exigua pars brevisque,Lucr. 5, 591: Canidia brevibus implicata viperis,Hor. Epod. 5, 15: Alecto brevibus torquata colubris,Ov. H. 2, 119: brevi latere ac pede longo est,Hor. S. 1, 2, 93; cf. just before: breve quod caput, ardua cervix, v. 89, and brevis alvus,Verg. G. 3, 80 (on the other hand, Nemes. 244: parvae alvi): mus,Ov. F. 2, 574: forma (sc. pueri in stellionem mutati),id. M. 5, 457.— So, lapathi herba,Hor. S. 2, 4, 29 (brevis = parva, non excrescens in altum, Schol. Cruqu.): folia breviora,id. Ep. 1, 19, 26 (minor corona, Schol. Cruqu.): census,id. C. 2, 15, 13: pondus,id. S. 2, 2, 37: impensa,Ov. H. 7, 188 Ruhnk.: sigillum,id. M. 6, 86: insulae,Pall. 1, 28, 1; cf. Juv. 1, 73: vasculum, Pall. Apr. 8, 4: offulae,id. 1, 29, 4: pantheris in candido breves macularum oculi,Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 62.—With nom. abstr.: breve in exiguo marmore nomen ero,Prop. 2, 1, 72; Sen. Oedip. 935.—So, pondus, Hor. S. 2, 2, 37 al.—Hence, brĕ-vĭter, adv., shortly, briefly, etc.
* Brevi, a short time, a little while: cunctatusque brevi, contortam viribus hastam in Persea misit, Ov. M. 5, 32; cf.: illa brevi spatio silet,id. ib. 7, 307; so, * breve,Cat. 61, 187.
* Ad breve, for a short time, Suet. Tib. 68; cf.: ad breve quoddam tempus,Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 31.
* Of discourse, short, brief, concise (most freq. in Cic. and Quint.): narratio,Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 28; id. de Or. 3, 50, 196: laudatio; comprehensio et ambitus ille verborum erat apud illum contractus et brevis,id. Brut. 44, 162; cf. id. de Or. 2, 80, 326: nunc venio ad illa tua brevia: et primum illud, quo nihil potest esse brevius: bonum omne laudabile, etc.,id. Fin. 4, 18, 48: quam falsa re! quam brevia responsu!id. Clu. 59, 164: urbanitas est virtus quaedam in breve dictum coacta, Dom. Mars. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 104: Homerus brevem eloquentiam Menelao dedit,Quint. 12, 10, 64 (brevis = οὐ πολύμυθος, Hom. Il. 3, 214): breviores commentarii,Quint. 3, 8, 58: annotatio,id. 10, 7, 31: brevia illa atque concisa,id. 10, 7, 10; so, sententiae,id. 10, 1, 60: causae,id. 6, 1, 8: docendi compendia,id. 1, 1, 24: comprehensiones,id. 12, 2, 19: quod ut brevissimo pateat exemplo,id. 3, 6, 10: commendatio, requiring few words, i.e. moderate, Plin. 11, 42, 97, § 240.— Meton. of a speaker or orator, brief: multos imitatio brevitatis decipit, ut cum se breves putent esse, longissimi sint,Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 38: brevior in scribendo,id. Att. 5, 6, 2: brevis esse laboro, Obscurus fio,Hor. A. P. 25: in eloquendo brevis,Quint. 10, 1, 63: densus et brevis et semper instans sibi Thucydides,id. 10, 1, 73.—Hence, brĕvī, adv., briefly, in few words (freq. and class.): brevi pro breviter M. Tullius de Orat. ad Quintum fratrem (1, 8, 34): ac ne plura quidem quae sunt innumerabilia consecter, comprehendam brevi,Charis. p. 176 P.: id percurram brevi,Cic. Caecin. 32, 94: aliquid explicare,id. Planc. 40, 95 Wund.: circumscribere et definire,id. Sest. 45, 97; so id. ib. 5, 12 Orell. N. cr.; id. Fin. 1, 17, 55: complecti,id. de Or. 1, 42, 190: exponere,id. ib. 1, 46, 203: reprehendere,id. Inv. 1, 9, 12: reddere,id. Leg. 2, 14, 34: respondere,id. Fam. 3, 8, 1: perscribere,id. ib. 4, 5, 1; so Auct. Her. 4, 26, 35; 35, 47 al.; cf.: in brevi,Quint. 9, 4, 32.—So once in epistolary style: breve facere, to be short or brief: quid scribam? breve faciam,Cic. Att. 11, 7, 6; cf.: longum est ea dicere, sed hoc breve dicam,id. Sest. 5, 12.—Once, in breve cogere (diff. from I. A.), to comprise in few words, bring into a small compass: in breve coactae causae,Liv. 39, 47, 5; cf.: in breve coactio causae,Gai. Inst. 4, 15.— In late Lat. subst.: brĕvis, is, m. (sc. liber—acc. to another reading, brĕve, is, n.), a short catalogue, summary, = breviarium: brevis nominum,Vop. Aur. 36; so id. Bonos. 15; Lampr. Alex. Sev. 21; Hier. Ep. 5, n. 2 al.
* Of a short syllable; rarely as adj.: Syllaba longa brevi subjecta vocatur iambus,Hor. A. P. 251: a brevis, gre brevis, faciet tamen longam priorem,Quint. 9, 4, 86 et saep.—More freq. subst.: brĕvis, is, f. (sc. syllaba): dactylus, qui est e longā et duabus brevibus,Cic. Or. 64, 217 sq.: in fine pro longā accipi brevem,Quint. 9, 4, 93; 9, 4, 86: plurimum habent celeritatis breves,id. 9, 4, 91.— Hence also once of a syllable long by position, but pronounced short: indoctus dicimus brevi primā litterā, insanus productā: inhumanus brevi, infelix longā,Cic. Or. 48, 159 Meyer N. cr.; cf. Gell. 2, 17 sqq., and Schütz Lex. Cic. s. v. brevis.
* Of space (acc. to I.) (rare): seu libeat, curvo brevius convertere gyro, shorter, i. e. in a smaller circle, Tib. 4, 1, 94: parvo brevius quam totus,a little less than the whole,Plin. 2, 67, 67, § 168: Sarmatae, omisso arcu, quo brevius valent, contis gladiisque ruerent,Tac. A. 6, 35.—Far more freq. in prose and poetry
* (Acc. to II. A. b. and c.) Of time, in a short time.
* In gen.: iratum breviter vites, inimicum diu, Publ. Syr. v. 249 Rib.: sapiens, cum breviter et strictim colore atque vultu motus est,Gell. 19, 1, 20.
* Esp.
* In expression, briefly, in brief, in few words, concisely, summarily: sed breviter paucis praestat comprendere multa,Lucr. 6, 1082: multa breviter et commode dicta (sc. ἀποφθέγματα; cf. Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104) memoriae mandabam, Cic. Lael. 1, 1: rem totam breviter cognoscite,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 69, § 169; 2, 3, 27, § 67; so id. de Or. 2, 83, 340: summatim breviterque describere,id. Or. 15, 50: breviter tangere,id. Off. 3, 2, 8 Beier N. cr.: breviter et modice disserere,Sall. J. 111, 1: adicere aliquid,Quint. 9, 3, 100; cf. also Verg. A. 2, 11; 4, 632; 6, 321; Ov. M. 2, 783: omnia soli Forsan Pacuvio breviter dabit (i.e. paucis testamenti verbis, quibus heres ex asse scribetur),Juv. 12, 125 Web. (cf. id. 1, 68: beatum exiguis tabulis).—Comp., Cic. Fin. 4, 10, 26; Quint. 8, prooem. § 1; 8, 6, 61; 9, 2, 16; 10, 1, 49; 11, 1, 5 al.—Sup., Cic. N. D. 2, 1, 3; id. Div. 1, 32, 70; Quint. 1, 10, 1; 4, 2, 113 al.
* Of syllables: quibus in verbis eae primae litterae sunt quae in sapiente atque felice, producte dicitur, in ceteris omnibus breviter,Cic. Or. 48, 159.
* Comp. abl. breviore, Ov. Am. 2, 17, 22) [cf. βραχύς, Fest. p. 26], short, little, of small extent, in space and time (opp. longus; in space, in good class. prose, diff. from parvus, which designates that which fills a small space in length, breadth, and thickness; while brevis is used only of length in its different directions of breadth, height, or depth; and even of a circle, as merely a line, and without reference to the space enclosed, v.infra. In poets and postAug. prose brevis sometimes = parvus).
* Lit., in space.
* In distance, extent, short, little, small, narrow (opp. latus), Cic. Ac. 2, 29, 92: brevior via,Nep. Eum. 8, 5; Tib. 1, 10, 4: via brevis,Verg. E. 9, 23; Ov. M. 5, 253; Juv. 14, 223: cursus brevissimus,Verg. A. 3, 507: brevius iter,Ov. P. 1, 4, 32: cursu brevissimus Almo,id. M. 14, 329: quid mihi, quod lato non separor aequore, prodest? Num minus haec nobis tam brevis obstat aqua?so narrow a stream,id. H. 18, 174; cf. also brevis unda, opp. latum mare,id. ib. 19, 141 and 142: non Asiam brevioris aquae disterminat usquam fluctus ab Europā,Luc. 9, 957 (strictioris, Schol.); cf. id. 9, 317: brevissima terra,Plin. Ep. 10, 69, 2: in Euboico scopulus brevis emicat altō Gurgite,a small, narrow rock,Ov. M. 9, 226: brevibus Gyaris,Juv. 1, 73: scis In breve te cogi (sc. libellum),that you are closely rolled together,Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 8: quo brevius valent,the nearer, the more powerful are they in conflict,Tac. A. 6, 35.
* Transf., of time.
* In height, short, small, low (opp. altus and sometimes longus); of the human figure: sed sedebat judex L. Aurifex, brevior ipse quam testis,Cic. de Or. 2, 60, 245: ut statura breves in digitos eriguntur,Quint. 2, 3, 8: forma,Ov. M. 5, 457: (puella) longa brevisque,id. Am. 2, 4, 36: brevis corpore,Suet. Galb. 3; id. Vit. Hor.—Of a maiden changed to a boy: et incomptis brevior mensura capillis,Ov. M. 9, 789.— Of other things: ut pleraque Alpium ab Italiā sicut breviora, ita arrectiora sunt,lower,Liv. 21, 35, 11: brevior ilex,Sen. Herc. Oet. 1641: mus,little,Ov. F. 2, 574.
* In depth, small, little, shallow (opp. profundus): puteus,Juv. 3, 226: vada,Verg. A. 5, 221; Sen. Agam. 570.—Hence, subst.: brĕvia, ium, n., as in Gr. τὰ βραχέα, shallow places, shallows, shoals: tris Eurus ab alto In brevia et syrtis urget,Verg. A. 1, 111 (brevia vadosa dicit, per quae vadi pedibus potest, Serv.); Luc. 9, 338: neque discerni poterant incerta ab solidis, brevia a profundis, Tac. A. 1, 70: brevia litorum,id. ib. 6, 33 fin.—Perh. also in sing.: breve,Tac. A. 14, 29 Draeg. ad loc. (Ritter, brevia; al. breve litus).
* Trop.: brevia, in quibus volutatur, incerta, ancipitia,difficulties,Sen. Ep. 22, 7.
* Of the line of a circle: ubi circulus (i.e. arcticus) axem Ultimus extremum spatioque brevissimus ambit,makes the shortest path,Ov. M. 2, 517; cf. of similar orbits, of stars: absides breviores,Plin. 2. 15, 13, § 63.—Of the circular course of a horse on the track: discit gyro breviore flecti,Sen. Hippol. 314.
* Lit. (the usu. signif. of the word), short, brief, small, little.
* In gen.: quanto, nox, fuisti longior hac proxumā, Tanto brevior dies ut fiat faciam,Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 51: breve spatium'st perferundi quae minitas mihi,id. Capt. 3, 5, 85: brevis hora,Lucr. 4, 179; so Ov. M. 4, 696: Pa. Brevin' an longinquo sermone? Mi. Tribus verbis, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 30: occasio,Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 57; Phaedr. 5, 8, 5: brevis hic est fructus homulleis,short is this enjoyment for little men,Lucr. 3, 927; cf.: MORS. PERFECIT. TVA. VT. TIBE. ESSENT. OMNIA. BREVIA. HONOS. FAMA. VIRTVSQVE. GLORIA. ATQVE. INGENIVM.,Inscr. Orell. 558: omnia brevia tolerabilia esse debent,Cic. Lael. 27, 104; id. Fin. 1, 12, 40; 2, 29, 94; id. Tusc. 1, 39, 94; Sen. Ira, 3, 43, 5: quoniam vita brevis est, memoriam nostri quam maxime longam efficere,Sall. C. 1, 3; so, vitae summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longam,Hor. C. 1, 4, 15; cf. id. ib. 1, 11, 6: aut omnia breviora aliquanto fuere, aut Saguntum principio anni captum,occupied a shorter time,Liv. 21, 15, 5: brevissimum tempus,id. 5, 6, 7: detrimentum,Quint. 11, 1, 10: arbitrium mortis,Tac. A. 15, 60: breves populi Romani amores,id. ib. 2, 41: tempus,Suet. Ner. 20 al.: nobis quom semel occidit brevis lux, nox est perpetua una dormienda,Cat. 5, 5: fructus,Lucr. 3, 914: aevum,Hor. C. 2, 16, 17; id. S. 2, 6, 97; id. Ep. 2, 1, 144; Plin. Pan. 78, 2: anni,Hor. C. 4, 13, 22: ver,Ov. M. 1, 118; 10, 85: flores rosae,quickly withering, short-lived,Hor. C. 2, 3, 13: lilium,id. ib. 1, 36, 16: cena,frugal,id. Ep. 1, 14, 35: mensa,id. A. P. 198: dominus,living but a short time,id. C. 2, 14, 24: stultitia,id. ib. 4, 12, 27: ira furor brevis est,id. Ep. 1, 2, 62: actio brevis atque concisa,Quint. 6, 4, 2: somnus,Sen. Troad. 441: nec gratius quicquam decore nec brevius,nothing is more acceptable, but nothing more perishable, fading, than beauty,Suet. Dom. 18: domus,Sen. Hippol. 762: fortuna,Sil. 4, 734.
* Transf. to things done or taking place in a short time; so most freq.
* Comp. brevius, with subj. clause, shorter, i.e. easier, more convenient: brevius visum urbana crimina incipi, quorum obvii testes erant,Tac. A. 13, 43: modo ne existimes brevius esse ab urbe mitti, Trag. ap. Plin. Ep. 10, 40 (49), 3.
* For parvus, exiguus, little, small: exigua pars brevisque,Lucr. 5, 591: Canidia brevibus implicata viperis,Hor. Epod. 5, 15: Alecto brevibus torquata colubris,Ov. H. 2, 119: brevi latere ac pede longo est,Hor. S. 1, 2, 93; cf. just before: breve quod caput, ardua cervix, v. 89, and brevis alvus,Verg. G. 3, 80 (on the other hand, Nemes. 244: parvae alvi): mus,Ov. F. 2, 574: forma (sc. pueri in stellionem mutati),id. M. 5, 457.— So, lapathi herba,Hor. S. 2, 4, 29 (brevis = parva, non excrescens in altum, Schol. Cruqu.): folia breviora,id. Ep. 1, 19, 26 (minor corona, Schol. Cruqu.): census,id. C. 2, 15, 13: pondus,id. S. 2, 2, 37: impensa,Ov. H. 7, 188 Ruhnk.: sigillum,id. M. 6, 86: insulae,Pall. 1, 28, 1; cf. Juv. 1, 73: vasculum, Pall. Apr. 8, 4: offulae,id. 1, 29, 4: pantheris in candido breves macularum oculi,Plin. 8, 17, 23, § 62.—With nom. abstr.: breve in exiguo marmore nomen ero,Prop. 2, 1, 72; Sen. Oedip. 935.—So, pondus, Hor. S. 2, 2, 37 al.—Hence, brĕ-vĭter, adv., shortly, briefly, etc.
* Brevi, a short time, a little while: cunctatusque brevi, contortam viribus hastam in Persea misit, Ov. M. 5, 32; cf.: illa brevi spatio silet,id. ib. 7, 307; so, * breve,Cat. 61, 187.
* Ad breve, for a short time, Suet. Tib. 68; cf.: ad breve quoddam tempus,Cic. Cat. 1, 13, 31.
* Of discourse, short, brief, concise (most freq. in Cic. and Quint.): narratio,Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 28; id. de Or. 3, 50, 196: laudatio; comprehensio et ambitus ille verborum erat apud illum contractus et brevis,id. Brut. 44, 162; cf. id. de Or. 2, 80, 326: nunc venio ad illa tua brevia: et primum illud, quo nihil potest esse brevius: bonum omne laudabile, etc.,id. Fin. 4, 18, 48: quam falsa re! quam brevia responsu!id. Clu. 59, 164: urbanitas est virtus quaedam in breve dictum coacta, Dom. Mars. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 104: Homerus brevem eloquentiam Menelao dedit,Quint. 12, 10, 64 (brevis = οὐ πολύμυθος, Hom. Il. 3, 214): breviores commentarii,Quint. 3, 8, 58: annotatio,id. 10, 7, 31: brevia illa atque concisa,id. 10, 7, 10; so, sententiae,id. 10, 1, 60: causae,id. 6, 1, 8: docendi compendia,id. 1, 1, 24: comprehensiones,id. 12, 2, 19: quod ut brevissimo pateat exemplo,id. 3, 6, 10: commendatio, requiring few words, i.e. moderate, Plin. 11, 42, 97, § 240.— Meton. of a speaker or orator, brief: multos imitatio brevitatis decipit, ut cum se breves putent esse, longissimi sint,Cic. Inv. 1, 20, 38: brevior in scribendo,id. Att. 5, 6, 2: brevis esse laboro, Obscurus fio,Hor. A. P. 25: in eloquendo brevis,Quint. 10, 1, 63: densus et brevis et semper instans sibi Thucydides,id. 10, 1, 73.—Hence, brĕvī, adv., briefly, in few words (freq. and class.): brevi pro breviter M. Tullius de Orat. ad Quintum fratrem (1, 8, 34): ac ne plura quidem quae sunt innumerabilia consecter, comprehendam brevi,Charis. p. 176 P.: id percurram brevi,Cic. Caecin. 32, 94: aliquid explicare,id. Planc. 40, 95 Wund.: circumscribere et definire,id. Sest. 45, 97; so id. ib. 5, 12 Orell. N. cr.; id. Fin. 1, 17, 55: complecti,id. de Or. 1, 42, 190: exponere,id. ib. 1, 46, 203: reprehendere,id. Inv. 1, 9, 12: reddere,id. Leg. 2, 14, 34: respondere,id. Fam. 3, 8, 1: perscribere,id. ib. 4, 5, 1; so Auct. Her. 4, 26, 35; 35, 47 al.; cf.: in brevi,Quint. 9, 4, 32.—So once in epistolary style: breve facere, to be short or brief: quid scribam? breve faciam,Cic. Att. 11, 7, 6; cf.: longum est ea dicere, sed hoc breve dicam,id. Sest. 5, 12.—Once, in breve cogere (diff. from I. A.), to comprise in few words, bring into a small compass: in breve coactae causae,Liv. 39, 47, 5; cf.: in breve coactio causae,Gai. Inst. 4, 15.— In late Lat. subst.: brĕvis, is, m. (sc. liber—acc. to another reading, brĕve, is, n.), a short catalogue, summary, = breviarium: brevis nominum,Vop. Aur. 36; so id. Bonos. 15; Lampr. Alex. Sev. 21; Hier. Ep. 5, n. 2 al.
* Of a short syllable; rarely as adj.: Syllaba longa brevi subjecta vocatur iambus,Hor. A. P. 251: a brevis, gre brevis, faciet tamen longam priorem,Quint. 9, 4, 86 et saep.—More freq. subst.: brĕvis, is, f. (sc. syllaba): dactylus, qui est e longā et duabus brevibus,Cic. Or. 64, 217 sq.: in fine pro longā accipi brevem,Quint. 9, 4, 93; 9, 4, 86: plurimum habent celeritatis breves,id. 9, 4, 91.— Hence also once of a syllable long by position, but pronounced short: indoctus dicimus brevi primā litterā, insanus productā: inhumanus brevi, infelix longā,Cic. Or. 48, 159 Meyer N. cr.; cf. Gell. 2, 17 sqq., and Schütz Lex. Cic. s. v. brevis.
* Of space (acc. to I.) (rare): seu libeat, curvo brevius convertere gyro, shorter, i. e. in a smaller circle, Tib. 4, 1, 94: parvo brevius quam totus,a little less than the whole,Plin. 2, 67, 67, § 168: Sarmatae, omisso arcu, quo brevius valent, contis gladiisque ruerent,Tac. A. 6, 35.—Far more freq. in prose and poetry
* (Acc. to II. A. b. and c.) Of time, in a short time.
* In gen.: iratum breviter vites, inimicum diu, Publ. Syr. v. 249 Rib.: sapiens, cum breviter et strictim colore atque vultu motus est,Gell. 19, 1, 20.
* Esp.
* In expression, briefly, in brief, in few words, concisely, summarily: sed breviter paucis praestat comprendere multa,Lucr. 6, 1082: multa breviter et commode dicta (sc. ἀποφθέγματα; cf. Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104) memoriae mandabam, Cic. Lael. 1, 1: rem totam breviter cognoscite,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 69, § 169; 2, 3, 27, § 67; so id. de Or. 2, 83, 340: summatim breviterque describere,id. Or. 15, 50: breviter tangere,id. Off. 3, 2, 8 Beier N. cr.: breviter et modice disserere,Sall. J. 111, 1: adicere aliquid,Quint. 9, 3, 100; cf. also Verg. A. 2, 11; 4, 632; 6, 321; Ov. M. 2, 783: omnia soli Forsan Pacuvio breviter dabit (i.e. paucis testamenti verbis, quibus heres ex asse scribetur),Juv. 12, 125 Web. (cf. id. 1, 68: beatum exiguis tabulis).—Comp., Cic. Fin. 4, 10, 26; Quint. 8, prooem. § 1; 8, 6, 61; 9, 2, 16; 10, 1, 49; 11, 1, 5 al.—Sup., Cic. N. D. 2, 1, 3; id. Div. 1, 32, 70; Quint. 1, 10, 1; 4, 2, 113 al.
* Of syllables: quibus in verbis eae primae litterae sunt quae in sapiente atque felice, producte dicitur, in ceteris omnibus breviter,Cic. Or. 48, 159.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary
See also:
Brevis
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