(adj.adv.) : tĕnŭis, e (in the poets also as dissyl. tēnuis, and hence sometimes written ten-vis, Lucr. 1, 875; 2, 232; 3, 232 al.; cf.
* Tenuia and tenuius, trisyl.,id. 4, 66; 4, 808; 3, 243, v. Carey, Lat. Prosody, § 47), adj. root in Sanscr. tanu; ten., Gr. τείνω; prop. stretched out, drawn out; v. teneo; hence, thin, fine, close, etc. (syn.: gracilis, exilis).
* Lit.
* Of texture, fine, thin: subtemen,Plaut. Merc. 3, 1, 20: vestes,Tib. 2, 3, 53: vestes,Ov. A. A. 3, 707: amictus,id. M. 4, 104: togae,Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 32: toga filo tenuissima,Ov. A. A. 3, 445: tunicae,id. F. 2, 319: natura oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit et saepsit,Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142: pellis,Ov. A. A. 3, 77: arietes tenuioris velleris,Col. 7, 2, 5.
* Trop.
* Transf., in gen., little, slight, trifling, poor, mean, etc.: oppidum tenue sane,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 22, § 53; cf.: magnae quondam urbis tenue vestigium,Plin. 3, 4, 5, § 32: murus,Cic. Rep. 4, 4, 4: amnis,Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 53: aqua,shallow,Liv. 1, 4, 6; Ov. F. 2, 250; Quint. 12, 2, 11: rivulus,Cic. Rep. 2, 19, 34: sulcus,Verg. G. 1, 68: foramen,Plin. 16, 36, 66, § 165: intervallum,id. 31, 2, 2, § 4: insignis tenui fronte Lycoris,Hor. C. 1, 33, 5: tenuem victum antefert copioso,Cic. Tusc. 3, 20, 49; so, victus,id. Fin. 2, 28, 90; id. Lael. 23, 86; Hor. S. 2, 2, 53: mensa,id. C. 2, 16, 14: cibus,Phaedr. 4, 13, 7: tenuissimum patrimonium,Auct. Her. 4, 38, 50: opes,Cic. Quint. 1, 2: res (familiaris),Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 20; cf. census,id. ib. 1, 7, 56: honores,Nep. Milt. 6, 2: praeda,Caes. B. G. 6, 35: tenuissimum lumen,Cic. N. D. 2, 19, 50: pumex,i. e. light,Prop. 3 (4), 1, 8. — Transf., of poor persons: tenuis (opp. locuples),Cic. Off. 2, 20, 70: servus sit an liber, pecuniosus an tenuis,id. Inv. 1, 25, 35: fortunae constitui tenuiorum videbantur,id. Sest. 48, 103; cf.: locupletissimi cujusque census extenuarant, tenuissimi auxerant,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 55, § 138: tenuis et obaeratus,Suet. Caes. 46: Regulus,Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 13.—With gen.: tenuis opum,Sil. 6, 19.
* Of sounds, weak, thin: vox, Pompon. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4, 12 (Com. Rel. v. 59 Rib.); Quint. 11, 3, 32.
* Fine, nice, delicate, subtle, exact (syn.: elegans, subtilis): tenuis et acuta distinctio,Cic. Ac. 2, 14, 43; cf.: tenues autem differentias (praecepta) habent,Sen. Ep. 94, 35: (oratores) tenues, acuti,Cic. Or. 5, 20; so, orator,id. ib. 24, 81; Quint. 12, 10, 21: aures,Lucr. 4, 913: cura,Ov. P. 4, 6, 37: Athenae,elegant,Mart. 6, 64, 17: rationes latiore specie, non ad tenue limatae,Cic. Ac. 2, 20, 66: textum dicendi,Quint. 10, 1, 64.— Subst.: tĕnŭe, is, n., that which is subtle (opp. comprehensibile), Lact. 7, 4, 12.
* Transf. (acc. to I. B.), weak, trifling, insignificant, mean, low: cum tenuissimā valetudine esset,weak, feeble, delicate,Caes. B. G. 5, 40: tenuis atque infirmus animus,id. B. C. 1, 32: ingenium (opp. forte),Quint. 10, 2, 19: tenuis et angusta ingeni vena,id. 6, 2, 3: tenuis exsanguisque sermo, Cic. de Or. 1, 13, 57; Quint. 8, 3, 18: in ininimis tenuissimisque rebus labi,Cic. de Or. 1, 37, 169: tenuissimarum rerum jura,id. Caecin. 12, 34: artificium perquam tenue et leve,id. de Or. 1, 28, 129: grammatica, ars tenuis ac jejuna,Quint. 1, 4, 5: inanis et tenuis spes,Cic. Rosc. Com. 14, 43; cf.: spes tenuior,id. Att. 3, 19, 2: suspitio,id. Caecin. 15, 43: causa tenuis et inops,id. Fam. 9, 12, 2: curae,Verg. G. 1, 177: gloria,id. ib. 4, 6: damnum,Tac. A. 12, 39: negotia paulo ad dicendum tenuiora,Quint. 12, 9, 8: nec sua plus debet tenui Verona Catullo,i. e. to the author of trifling, amorous lays,Mart. 10, 103, 5; v. tenuo, II.
* Esp., of rank, standing, etc., low, inferior, common: tenuiores,men of lower rank, the lower orders,Cic. Leg. 3, 10, 24; cf.: tenuis L. Virginius unusque de multis,id. Fin. 2, 20, 66: tenuissimus quisque,Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 47, § 123: homines,id. Mur. 34, 70; cf.: commoti animi tenuiorum,id. ib. 23, 47: si obscuri erunt aut tenues,id. Part. Or. 34, 117: qui tenuioris ordinis essent,id. Leg. 3, 13, 30: adulescentes tenui loco orti,Liv. 2, 3, 2. — Hence, adv.: tĕnŭĭter.
* Lit.
* Thinly: alutae tenuiter confectae,Caes. B. G. 3, 13.
* Trop.
* Finely, acutely, exactly, subtilely: tenuiter disserere,Cic. Or. 14, 46: tenuiter multa, multa sublimiter tenere,Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 1: scribere (with argute),id. ib. 6, 21, 4: tenuiter et argute multa disserit,Gell. 6, 2, 6.—Comp.: illae (argumentationes) tenuius et acutius et subtilius tractantur,Cic. Inv. 2, 16, 51.
* Lightly, slightly, superficially: mihi nimium tenuiter Siculorum erga te voluntatis argumenta colligere videor,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 65, § 157; Auct. Her. 3, 8, 15; 4, 36, 48.— Sup.: tenuissime aestimare,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 16, § 35.