(v. a.P. a.adv.) : mĭnŭo, ŭi, ūtum, 3, v. a. and n. Sanscr. mi, lessen, change; Gr. μινύω, μινύθω; cf.: μείων = minor; Germ. minder, vermindern.
* Act., to make smaller, to lessen, diminish; lit. and trop.
* Lit. (rare and mostly poet.): ramaliaque arida tecto Detulit, et minuit,broke in pieces,Ov. M. 8, 645: ligna,to chop into small pieces,id. F. 2, 647: portarum objectus,to dash in pieces,Stat. Th. 10, 526: dentes in limine,id. ib. 10, 47: sanguinem,to let blood,Veg. Vet. 1, 16, 2; in the same signif., simply minuere,id. ib. 1, 22, 1.
* Neutr., to diminish, grow less: minuente aestu,at the ebbing of the tide,Caes. B. G. 3, 12, 1: minuente lunā,waning,Pall. 3, 24; Sedul. 1, 243; cf.: crescentis minuentisque sideris species,Plin. 37, 10, 67, § 181.—Hence, mĭnūtus, a, um, P. a. (diminished; hence), little, small, minute (class.).
* Lit.: pueri minuti (opp. majores), Varr. ap. Non. 141, 18: id omnes magni minutique, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 45.—Of things: litterae,Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 68: minuta ac brevia folia,Plin. 12, 24, 53, § 111: ossa,Lucr. 1, 835: opuscula,Cic. Ac. 2, 38, 120: itinera,Suet. Aug. 82: aere minuto qualiacumque somnia vendere,Juv. 6, 546: facies minutae,miniature portraits,id. 14, 291.—Comp.: minutior ac mage pollens,Lucr. 4, 318.—Sup.: minutissimis ictibus excarnificatus,Suet. Vit. 17: res,little things, trifles,Cic. Clu. 64, 180: res minutissimae et contemptibiles,Aug. Conf. 10, 35, 4: aves,Col. 8, 5, 10.
* Trop., petty, paltry, insignificant.
* Of persons: alii minuti et angusti,Cic. Fin. 1, 18, 61: philosophi,id. Div. 1, 30, 62: imperatores,id. Brut. 73, 256: plebes,Phaedr. 4, 6, 13.
* Lit.: sal minute tritus,Col. 6, 17, 7: minutissime commolere,id. 12, 28, 1: historia minutissime scripta,in an extremely small hand,Sen. Ep. 95, 2.
* Trop.
* Mĭnūtē, into small or fine pieces, finely, minutely (class.).
* With short steps, trippingly: equus ambulans,Veg. Vet. 1, 56, 39: deambulare,id. ib. 2, 53, 3.
* In a petty or paltry manner: res minutius tractare,Cic. Fin. 4, 3, 7.
* Minutely, closely, accurately: minutius et scrupulosius scrutantur omnia,Quint. 5, 14, 28.
* Mĭnūtim, into small pieces, finely, minutely (ante-class. and post-Aug.): concidere,Cato, R. R. 123: scoria minutim fracta,Plin. 34, 18, 51, § 171; Gell. 17, 8, 2.

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