(verb) : tĕnĕo, tĕnŭi, tentum, 2 (
* Perf. subj. tetinerim, Pac. ap. Non. 178, 15: tetinerit,Att. ib. 178, 12: tetinisse,Pac. ib. 178, 11; fut. perf. tetinero, acc. to Fest. p. 252 Müll. Another collat. form of the perf. tenivi, acc. to Charis. p. 220 P.; Diom. pp. 363 and 369 ib.), and n. root ten-, tan-; Gr. τάνυμαι, τείνω; Sanscr. tanomi, to stretch, spread; this root appears in many derived meanings; cf. Lat.: tendo, tenuis, tener, tenor, tenus.
* Act., to hold, keep, have in the hand, in the mouth, etc.
* Lit.
* Neutr. (freq. after the Aug. per.; perh. not in Cic.).
* Trop.
* With the accessory idea of possession, to hold, i. e. to be master of, have in one's power, possess, etc. (syn.: possideo, habeo): multa hereditatibus, multa emptionibus, multa dotibus tenebantur sine injuriā,Cic. Off. 2, 23, 81: quae tenuit dives Achaemenes,Hor. C. 2, 12, 21: Evander qui multis ante tempestatibus tenuerat loca,Liv. 1, 5: provinciam a praedonibus liberam,Cic. Imp. Pomp. 11, 32: colles praesidiis,Caes. B. C. 3, 43: Formiarum moenia et Lirim,Hor. C. 3, 17, 8: tenente Caesare terras,id. ib. 3, 14, 15: rem publicam,Cic. Mur. 39, 83; id. Sest. 19, 44: summam imperii,Caes. B. G. 3, 22: equitum centurias,Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 3: alterum cornu,to command,Nep. Pelop. 4, 3: provincias aliaque omnia,Sall. C. 39, 2: scenam, to have sole possession of. rule over, Suet. Tit. 7. — Of the possession of the object of affection: te tenet,Tib. 1, 6, 35; 2, 6, 52; Verg. E. 1, 32; Ov. H. 2, 103 Ruhnk.; 15, 88; id. Am. 3, 7, 3; Phaedr. 2, 2, 4.—In colloq. lang., teneo te, I have you once more, of again seeing the beloved person: teneone te, Antiphila, maxime animo exoptata meo?Ter. Heaut. 2, 4, 27 Ruhnk.; Sen. Ben. 7, 4; Ov. H. 18, 183; cf.: et comitem Aenean juxta natumque tenebat Ingrediens,Verg. A. 8, 308.—Also like our I have you (fast, bound, etc.): teneo te, inquam, nam ista Academiae est propria sententia,Cic. Ac. 2, 48, 148; id. Quint. 20, 63.—Absol.: qui tenent (sc. rem publicam), who are in possession of the State, of public affairs: qui tenent, qui potiuntur,Cic. Att. 7, 12, 3; 2, 18, 1.
* With the accessory idea of firmness, persistence, to hold fast, occupy; to watch, guard, defend; to maintain, retain a thing: legio locum non tenuit atque in proximum collem se recepit,Caes. B. C. 1, 44: montes teneri,id. B. G. 3, 2: haec noctu firmis praesidiis tenebantur,id. ib. 7, 69: Capitolia celsa tenebat,Verg. A. 8, 653: quo teneam Protea nodo?Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 90: te neque intra Claustra tenebo,id. C. 3, 11, 44; cf.: in manicis et Compedibus saevo te sub custode tenebo,id. Ep. 1, 16, 77: laqueis (se) sensit teneri ... fugam frustra tentabat; at illam Lenta tenet radix exsultantemque coërcet,Ov. M. 11, 74 sq.; 1, 535: Athenae tuae sempiternam in arce oleam tenere potuerunt,Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 2: agri qui diu aquam tenent,Pall. Apr. 2, 4: classem ibi tenebat,Liv. 31, 46, 8: secundissimo vento cursum tenere, to hold or keep one's course, Cic. N. D. 3, 34, 83; cf.: vento intermisso cursum non tenuit,Caes. B. G. 5, 8; 4, 28; so, cursum,Cic. Planc. 21, 52; id. Rep. 1, 2, 3 fin.; Quint. 4, 3, 13: quo iter,Verg. A. 1, 370; Plin. Ep. 6, 16, 10: (lunam) fingunt cursus viam sub sole tenere,Lucr. 5, 714: tenuit tamen vestigia Bucar,Liv. 29, 32, 6.
* With the accessory idea of reaching the object aimed at, to reach, attain a place: montes effuso cursu Sabini petebant et pauci tenuere,Liv. 1, 37, 4: regionem,id. 30, 25, 11: Tenum,id. 36, 21, 1: terram,id. 37, 16, 4; 37, 11, 5; 37, 13, 4; 26, 29, 4: Hesperiam,Ov. F. 1, 498: portus,id. H. 18, 198; Tac. Agr. 38 fin.: cum quibus (navibus) Cythnum insulam tenuit,id. H. 2, 9.
* With the accessory idea of movement impeded, to hold fast, hold back, hinder, restrain, detain, check, control, stay, etc.: naves, quae vento tenebantur,Caes. B. G. 4, 22: quid hic agatur, scire poteris ex eo, qui litteras attulit, quem diutius tenui, quia, etc.,Cic. Att. 11, 3, 1: si id te non tenet, advola,id. Fam. 16, 19: septimum jam diem Corcyrae tenebamur,id. ib. 16, 7 init.: Marcellum ab gerundis rebus valetudo adversa Nolae tenuit,Liv. 24, 20, 7: non tenebo te pluribus,Cic. Fam. 11, 16, 3; cf. absol.: ne diutius teneam,Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 13, § 34: solutum (corpus) tenere, Cels. praef. med.; cf. ventrem,id. 4, 19 med.: tene linguam,Ov. F. 2, 602: pecus omne tenendum,Verg. G. 2, 371: vix a te videor posse tenere manus,Ov. Am. 1, 4, 10; so, manus,id. M. 13, 203; cf.: manum stomachumque teneto,Hor. S. 2, 7, 44: saeva tene cum Berecyntio Cornu tympana,id. C. 1, 18, 13: et Phoebi tenuere viam,i. e. impeded, closed up,Luc. 5, 136: quo me decet usque teneri?Verg. A. 5, 384: lacrimas,Caes. B. G. 1, 39; so, lacrimas in morte miserā non tenebamus,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 67, § 172: dictator exercitum in stativis tenebat,Liv. 6, 14, 1.
* Esp.: se tenere, to keep back, remain, stay: Sabinus castris sese tenebat,Caes. B. G. 3, 17; 1, 40; Liv. 2, 45, 2: nullā clade acceptā castris se pavidus tenebat,id. 3, 26, 3: Hasdrubal procul ab hoste intervallo tenebat se,id. 23, 26, 2: se domi a conventu remotum tenere,Nep. Dion, 9, 1: ego tamen teneo ab accusando vix me hercule: sed tamen teneo,restrain myself, refrain,Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 2, 2: nec se tenuit, quin, etc.,id. Ac. 2, 4, 12; cf. mid.: teneri non potui, quin tibi apertius illud idem his litteris declararem,id. Att. 15, 14, 2; Just. 6, 7, 10; cf.: se intra silentium tenuit,Plin. Ep. 4, 17, 8: multum me intra silentium tenui,id. ib. 7, 6, 6.
* In gen., to hold, contain in the mind, to conceive, comprehend, know (syn.: percipio, intellego): nunc ego teneo, nunc scio, Quid sit hoc negotii,Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 39: tenes Quorsum haec tendant quae loquor, id. Ps. 1, 2, 81: tenes, quid dicam?Ter. Heaut. 4, 3, 22: teneo,I understand,id. And. 1, 1, 59: teneo quid erret,id. 3, 2, 18; Cic. Rep. 1, 23, 37; cf.: quibus capiatur Caesar, tenes, Caecin. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 5: quae a Romanis auguribus ignorantur, a Cilicibus ... Lyciis tenentur,Cic. Div. 1, 15, 25: quoniam ea, quae tenebatis ipsi, etiam ex me audire voluistis,id. Rep. 1, 46, 70: alicujus reconditos sensus,id. Sest. 10, 22: quo pacto cuncta tenerem,Hor. S. 2, 4, 8: et teneo melius ista,Mart. 4, 37, 7.—With inf.: nullus frugi esse homo potest, nisi qui et bene facere et male tenet,Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 10; Lucr. 3, 647.
* In partic.
* To have possession of, have the mastery of, to control any thing: cum rem publicam opes paucorum non virtutes tenere coeperunt,Cic. Rep. 1, 34, 51.
* To hold fast, guard, preserve, uphold, keep, insist (syn. servo): sin consuetudinem meam, quam in re publicā semper habui, tenuero,Cic. Phil. 1, 11, 27: ordinem,id. ib. 5, 13, 35: portum,id. Fam. 1, 9, 21: statum,id. Rep. 1, 28, 44: non tenebat ornatum suum civitas,id. ib. 1, 27, 43: si jus suum populi teneant,id. ib. 1, 32, 48: nec diutius umquam tenetur idem rei publicae modus,id. ib. 1, 44, 68: est boni viri, haec duo tenere in amicitiā, etc.,id. Lael. 18, 65: morem,id. Off. 3, 10, 44; so id. Fl. 7, 15; Verg. A. 3, 408: foedus,Cic. Balb. 15, 34: tenebat non modo auctoritatem, sed etiam imperium in suos,id. Sen. 11, 37: silentium,Liv. 1, 28, 8.
* To hold fast, maintain, support, defend, uphold, insist: illud arcte tenent accurateque defendunt, voluptatem esse summum bonum,hold fast, maintain,Cic. Par. 1, 3, 14; cf.: illud, quod multos annos tenuisset,id. Ac. 2, 22, 71; and: quod idem Peripatetici non tenent,id. Fin. 3, 13, 44: propositum tenere,to maintain,Caes. B. C. 3, 42, 1: suas leges,Cic. Verr. 1, 4, 13: causam apud centumviros,id. Caecin. 24, 67: quo causae teste tenentur,Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 43: locum quendam cum aliquo,Cic. Brut. 21, 81.— With ne: plebs tenuit, ne consules in proximum annum crearentur,Liv. 4, 30, 16: ne quid ferretur ad populum, patres tenuere,id. 3, 29, 8; 24, 19, 7. — With ut: tenuere patres, ut Fabius consul crearetur,Liv. 2, 42, 2 Weissenb. ad loc.: scripseram tenuisse Varenum ut sibi evocare testes liceret,Plin. Ep. 6, 5, 1.
* Of memory: alicujus memoriam cum summā benevolentiā tenere,to recollect, preserve a recollection of,Cic. Fam. 6, 2, 1.—Esp.: memoriā tenere: memoriā tenetis, compluris in Capitolio res de caelo esse percussas,you remember,Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 19; id. Fam. 1, 9, 12; Caes. B. G. 1, 14; cf.: memoriā teneo, C. Sulpicium Gallum, etc.,id. Rep. 1, 14, 21; v. memoria; so without memoria, to bear in mind, remember, recollect: satin' haec meministi et tenes?Plaut. Pers. 2, 2, 1: numeros memini, si verba tenerem,Verg. E. 9, 45: dicta tenere,Hor. A. P. 336; id. S. 2, 4, 8: quem (Cyrum) omnia militum tenuisse creditum est nomina,Quint. 11, 2, 50; 11, 2, 45.
* To reach an object striven after, to gain, acquire, obtain, attain (syn. assequor): per cursum rectum regnum tenere,Cic. Agr. 2, 17, 44: Servium Tullium post hunc captivā natum, ingenio virtute regnum tenuisse,Liv. 4, 3, 12: teneri res aliter non potest,Cic. Fam. 1, 1, 3: multa tenuisse,Liv. 42, 11, 8: causam,Ov. M. 13, 190.
* To hold, hold back, repress, restrain, bind, fetter, etc. (syn.: refreno, retineo): iracundiam teneat, avaritiam coërceat,Cic. Par. 5, 1, 33: dolorem,id. Att. 12, 38, 2: cupiditates,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 1, § 3: somnum,id. Brut. 80, 278: risum,id. Vatin. 8, 20; Hor. A. P. 5: iram,Curt. 4, 2, 5: ea, quae occurrant, tenere,to hold back, keep to themselves,Cic. de Or. 2, 54, 221.
* Of laws, etc., to bind, hold, obligate, be binding on, control, etc.: quamquam leges eum non tenent,Cic. Phil. 11, 5, 11; cf.: interdicto non teneri,id. Caecin. 14, 41: voto quodam et promisso teneri,id. Att. 12, 18, 1: ut plebi scita omnes Quirites tenerent,Liv. 8, 12, 14; cf.: olim patricii dicebant se plebi scitis non teneri,Gai. Inst. 1, 3: cum velut in controverso jure esset, tenerenturne patres plebi scitis, legem tulere, ut quod tributim plebis jussisset, populum teneret,Liv. 3, 55, 3: teneri alienis foederibus,id. 24, 29, 11: poenā teneri, to be subject or liable to, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 5: testibus in re perspicuā teneri,to be convicted,id. Caecin. 2, 4; cf.: nemo ita in manifesto peccatu tenebatur, ut, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 78, § 191: caedis teneri,Quint. 5, 14, 11: teneri repetundarum,Tac. A. 11, 7 fin.: furti,Dig. 6, 1, 4: injuriarum,ib. 47, 10, 11: mandati,ib. 17, 1, 10.—Transf.: nisi illi ipsi, qui eas (libidines) frangere deberent, cupiditatis ejusdem tenerentur,Cic. Leg. 3, 13, 31 Mos. and Orell. N. cr.
* Of dispositions, desires, etc., to possess, occupy, control: quae te tanta pravitas mentis tenuerit, ut, etc.,has had possession of you,Cic. Vatin. 6, 14: summum me eorum (librorum) studium tenet,id. Att. 1, 11, 3: magna me spes tenet,id. Tusc. 1, 41, 97: de triumpho nulla me cupiditas umquam tenuit,id. Att. 7, 2, 6: si consilio pulso libidines iracundiaeve tenerent omnia,id. Rep. 1, 38, 60: nisi forte quem inhonesta et perniciosa libido tenet,Sall. J. 3, 4: neque irā neque gratiā teneri, to be controlled or influenced, Cic. N. D. 1, 17, 45; so, teneri desiderio,id. Sen. 10, 33: studio philosophiae,id. Ac. 1, 2, 4: magno amore,Verg. A. 1, 675: pompā, ludis atque ejusmodi spectaculis teneri,to be enchained, fascinated,Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 48; cf.: ut oculi picturā teneantur, aures cantibus,id. Ac. 2, 7, 20: is qui audit, ab oratore jam obsessus est ac tenetur,id. Or. 62, 210.—With ne, Ov. M. 7, 146.
* To take in, comprise, comprehend, include: haec magnos formula reges, Excepto sapiente, tenet,Hor. S. 2, 3, 46.—More freq. pass.: teneri aliquā re, to be contained, comprised, grounded, to consist in a thing: ut homines deorum agnatione et gente teneantur,Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 23: id quod (genus officiorum) teneatur hominum societate,id. Off. 1, 45, 160: quae (causae) familiaritate et consuetudine tenentur,id. Fam. 13, 29, 1: dixi jam antea, ipsam rationem arandi spe magis et jucunditate quadam quam fructu atque emolumento teneri,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 98, § 227.
* Lit.
* To hold a position anywhere, maintain one's self: quā abscisae rupes erant, statio paucorum armatorum tenebat,Liv. 32, 5, 12: duo extra ordinem milia tenuere,id. 3, 62, 7: tenent Danai, quā deficit ignis,Verg. A. 2, 505.
* Trop., with the accessory idea of continuance (cf. I. A. 2. b. and B. 2. b. supra), to hold out, hold on, last, endure, continue, maintain itself, prevail, etc. (cf. obtineo): imber per noctem totam tenuit,Liv. 23, 44, 6; cf.: incendium per duas noctes ac diem unum tenuit,id. 24, 47, 15: per aliquot dies ea consultatio tenuit,id. 2, 3, 5; 3, 47, 6: tenet fama, lupam, etc.,id. 1, 4, 6: quod nunc quoque tenet nomen,id. 1, 17, 6: fama tenuit, haud plus fuisse modio,id. 23, 12, 2; 21, 46, 10: tenuit consuetudo, quae cottidie magis invalescit, ut, etc.,Quint. 2, 1, 1 Spald.; so, consuetudo, ut, etc.,id. 8, 5, 2: nomen illud tenet,id. 9, 4, 47 Spald.; cf. Ov. M. 1, 712.