Lewis Short
(adjective) : crēber, bra, brum (
* Sup. creberrimus; but crebrissimus,Gell. 2, 30, 2; cf. Rudd. I. p. 170; and CEREBERRIMVS,Inscr. Orell. 68), from cre-, root of cresco, Corn. Beitr. p. 356, that exists or takes place in a continuous multitude, following closely together or one after another (hence with continuus, Quint. 12, 10, 46; opp. rarus).
* Thick, close, pressed together, frequent, numerous, repeated (very freq., and class.).
* Of material subjects: lucus avius, Crebro salicto oppletus,Plaut. Aul. 4, 6, 9; cf. silva,Lucr. 6, 135: crebris arboribus succisis omnes introitus erant praeclusi,Caes. B. G. 5, 9: rami,id. ib. 2, 17: (venae et arteriae) crebrae multaeque, toto corpore intextae,Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138: funale,numerous torches,id. Sen. 13, 44: castella,Caes. B. G. 2, 30: creberrima aedificia,id. ib. 5, 12: ignes quam creberrimi,Sall. J. 106, 4; cf. id. ib. 98, 6: vigilias ponere,id. ib. 45, 2: tanto crebriores litterae nuntiique,Caes. B. G. 5, 45; cf. exploratores,id. ib. 6, 10: tam crebri ad terram decidebant quam pira,as thick as pears,Plaut. Poen. 2, 38; cf. hostes,id. Am. 1, 1, 84: crebri cecidere caelo lapides,Liv. 1, 31, 2; cf. sup., id. 28, 37, 7 et saep.
* Meton., of an object that is furnished with abundance, or produces something in multitudes, crowded with, abundant, abounding in: creber harundinibus lucus,Ov. M. 11, 190: Africus procellis,Verg. A. 1, 85: Tiberis creber ac subitus incrementis,Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 55.—Esp., of speech or writing: sane in eo creber fuisti, Te noluisse, etc.,you frequently said,Cic. Planc. 34, 83: si mihi tantum esset otii, quantum est tibi ... in scribendo multo essem crebrior quam tu,id. Att. 1, 19, 1: (Thucydides) ita creber est rerum frequentia, ut, etc.,id. de Or. 2, 13, 56; id. Brut. 7, 29: quis sententiis aut acutior aut crebrior? id. ap. Suet. Caes. 55; Quint. 10, 1, 102 (cf.: densus sententiis, id. ib. § 68).—In Gr. constr., of the person: densis ictibus heros Creber utrāque manu pulsat versatque Dareta,Verg. A. 5, 460: modus (dicendi) translationibus crebrior,Quint. 12, 10, 60.—Hence, advv.
* Most freq. in the form crēbrō, close one after another (in time or number), repeatedly, often, oftentimes, frequently, many times: si crebro cades,Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 105: ruri esse,Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 18: mittere litteras,Cic. Att. 6, 5, 1: tussire et exspuere,Quint. 11, 5, 56: personare purgatam aurem,Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 7 et saep.: qui crebro Catulum, saepe me, saepissime rem publicam nominabat,Cic. Cael. 24, 59.—Comp. crebrius: perlucet villa crebrius quam cribrum,i. e. with more holes, openings,Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 14: mittas litteras,Cic. Fam. 5, 6, 3 fin.: crebrius aut perfidiosius rebellantes,Suet. Aug. 21.— Sup. creberrime (creberru-): commemorantur a Stoicis,Cic. Div. 1, 27, 56.
* Crē-bră (acc. plur.; cf. Rudd. II. p. 159), repeatedly: revisit ad stabulum (mater),Lucr. 2, 359: et pede terram Crebra ferit (equus),Verg. G. 3, 500.
* Crēbrē, closely, compactly (of place; only in Vitr.): fundamenta aedificiorum palationibus crebre fixa,Vitr. 2, 9, 10.—Sup.: crates ex virgis creberrime textae,Vitr. 10, 14, 3.—*
* Crē-brĭter, repeatedly, frequently (in time), Vitr. 10, 13, 7; cf. Hand, Turs. II. p. 133 sq.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary