călumnĭor (anciently kăl-;
* V. the letter K), ātus, 1, v. dep. act. [calumnia].
* Jurid. t. t.
* To accuse falsely, bring false information against a person.
* In gen., to depreciate, misrepresent, calumniate, to blame unjustly.
* To practise chicanery, trickery, or subterfuge: jacet res in controversiis isto calumniante biennium,Cic. Quint. 21, 67: meque, etiam si diutius calumniarentur. redire jussistis,id. Red. in Sen. 11, 27.
* With personal object: nam, quod antea te calumniatus sum, indicabo malitiam meam,Cic. Fam. 9, 7, 1; cf.: nisi calumniari naturam rerum homines quam sibi prodesse mallent,Plin. 18, 28, 68, § 272: aliis tamen eum verbis calumniatur,Gell. 6 (7), 3, 23.—With dat. (late Lat.): non solum filio sed etiam patri,Ambros. Inc. Dom. Sacr. 8, 83.
* Esp., with se, to depreciate one's self, be unduly anxious or careful: quibusdam tamen nullus est finis calumniandi se, et... qui etiam, cum optima sunt reperta, quaerunt aliquid, quod sit magis antiquum, remotum, inopinatum,Quint. 8 prooem. § 8: neque eos... ad infelicem calumniandi se poenam alligandos puto,id. 10, 3, 10.
* Absol.: sed calumniabar ipse; putabam, qui obviam mihi venisset, suspicaturum,i. e. indulged unreasonable fears,Cic. Fam. 9, 2, 3; cf. A. 2. supra.
* With things as objects, to misrepresent, interpret injuriously, set in a false light: non calumniatur verba nec voltus; quicquid accidit, benigne interpretando levat,Sen. Ep. 81, 25: suspitionibus inquietantur medicisque jam sani manum porrigunt et omnem calorem corporis sui calumniantur,id. Tranq. 2, 1: festinationem alicujus,Quint. 2, 1, 12: id unum,Tac. H. 3, 75: jus civile,Dig. 10, 4, 19.

s. TLL