(adjective) : tĕnax, ācis, id.
* Holding fast, griping, tenacious.
* Lit.
* In gen. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): prensatque tenaci forcipe ferrum,Verg. A. 12, 404; 8, 453; cf.: dente tenaci Ancora fundabat naves,id. ib. 6, 3: vinclum,id. G. 4, 412; Ov. M. 11, 252: complexus,id. ib. 4, 377: lappa,id. P. 2, 1, 14: hedera arborem implicat,Cat. 61, 34: loca limosa tenacia gravi caeno,Tac. A. 1, 63: amplexus,App. M. 9, p. 219, 17: maltha, quae est res omnium tenacissima,Plin. 36, 24, 58, § 181.— With gen.: herba asperitate etiam vestium tenaci,Plin. 27, 5, 15, § 32. — Comp.: cutis tenacior capilli,Plin. 22, 22, 39, § 82.
* Trop.
* In partic., holding fast to wealth, power, etc., griping, sparing, niggardly, stingy, tenacious (class.; syn. parcus): filius familias patre parco ac tenaci,Cic. Cael. 15, 36: He. Tenaxne pater ejus est? Phi. Immo edepol pertinax, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 39: parcus, truculentus, tenax,Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 12: eosdem restrictos et tenaces fuisse,Cic. Planc. 22, 54: non tenax in largitate,Spart. Car. 5.—With gen.: genus Quaesiti tenax,Ov. M. 7, 657.—Comp.: milites tenaciores eorum (armorum) in proelio,Suet. Caes. 67.
* Transf., of things, that holds or sticks fast: jacere in tenaci gramine, that clings together, i. e. matted, Hor. Epod. 2, 24.—Sup.: glaebis tenacissimum solum,Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 10: cerae,sticky, viscid,Verg. G. 4, 161: turpe referre pedem nec passu stare tenaci,Ov. P. 2, 6, 21.— Comp.: pondere tenacior navis,Liv. 28, 30, 11: panicula glutino tenacior,Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158.
* Holding fast, retentive, firm, steadfast, persistent, tenacious (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose); usually joined with gen.: memoria tenacissima,Quint. 1, 1, 19: naturā tenacissimi sumus eorum, quae rudibus annis percepimus,id. 1, 1, 5: pertinacem ultra modum esse tenacem propositi,id. 11, 1, 90; so, propositi,Hor. C. 3, 3, 1; Ov. M. 10, 405: tenacem esse sui juris debet,Col. 1, 7, 2: disciplinae tenacissimus,Plin. Ep. 10, 85 (17): justitiae,Juv. 8, 25: ficti pravique (Fama),Verg. A. 4, 188: veri,Pers. 5, 48: amicitiarum,Vell. 2, 29, 3: exempli sui,id. 2, 84, 3 Ruhnk.: animi,Manil. 4, 165: longa tenaxque fides,Ov. Am. 2, 6, 14.
* In a bad sense, stubborn, obstinate: equus contra sua vincla tenax,Ov. Am. 3, 4, 13; so, equus,Liv. 39, 25, 13; and in a lusus verbb.: si esses equos, esses indomabilis ... nimis tenax es,Plaut. Cas. 4, 3, 13: cum video, quam sint mea fata tenacia, frangor,Ov. P. 1, 2, 63: ira Caesaris,id. ib. 1, 9, 28: morbi,Suet. Claud. 2.—Adv.: tĕnācĭter, closely, firmly, strongly, tightly, tenaciously.
* Lit.: pressisse tenaciter ungues,Ov. H. 9, 21: vincire,Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 6.—Comp.: apprehendere,Val. Max. 7, 5, 2; Macr. S. 7, 3: habitare,Aug. Ep. 6.
* Trop., persistently, firmly: urgere,Ov. H. 3, 43.— Comp., Sol. 52, § 44; Amm. 25, 4, 4.—Sup., App. M. 5, p. 167, 22.