(adverb) : vĕl-ut or vĕl-ŭti, (cf. vel, II.)
* Even as, just as, like as.
* Correl., with a foll. sic or ita (very rare).
* In gen.: velut in cantu et fidibus, sic ex corporis totius naturā et figurā varios motus ciere,Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 20 (al. vel ut): cum velut Sagunti excidium Hannibali, sic, etc.,Liv. 31, 18, 9: velut per fistulam, ita per apertam vitis medullam umor trahitur,Col. 3, 18, 5.
* Absol.
* In gen.: studeo hunc lenonem perdere, velut meum erum macerat,Plaut. Poen. 4, 1, 2: cum repente instructas velut in acie certo gradulegiones accedere Galli viderent,Hirt. B. G. 8, 9: ne vitam silentio transeant veluti pecora, quae, etc.,Sall. C. 1, 1: veluti qui sentibus anguem Pressit,Verg. A. 2, 379. —With abl. absol.: cum velut inter pugnae fugaeque consilium trepidante equitatu,Liv. 1, 14, 8 Weissenb. ad loc.; cf. id. 1, 31, 3; 1, 29, 4; 1, 53, 5; 2, 12, 13.
* In partic.
* To connect, by way of example, a single instance with an established general proposition, as, for instance, for example: hoc est incepta efficere pulchre, veluti mihi Evenit, ut ovans praedā onustus incederem,Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 145; id. Rud. 3, 1, 4; id. Merc. 2, 1, 3; cf. id. Aul. 3, 4, 3; id. Curc. 5, 3, 4; id. Truc. 2, 1, 35; 2, 7, 19: numquam tam male est Siculis, quin aliquid facete et commode dicant: veluti in hac re aiebant, In labores Herculis, etc.,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 44, § 95: ut illi dubia quaedam res ... probetur: velut apud Socraticum Aeschinem demonstrat Socrates, etc.,id. Inv. 1, 31, 51: est etiam admiratio nonnulla in bestiis aquatilibus iis, quae gignuntur in terrā. Veluti crocodili, etc.,id. N. D. 2, 48, 124; id. Fin. 2, 35, 116; cf.: multa conjecta sunt aliud alio tempore, velut hoc, etc.,id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 7, § 23: velut in hac quaestione plerique dixerunt,id. N. D. 1, 1, 2: velut iste chorus virtutum in eculeum inpositus imagines constituit,id. Tusc. 5, 5, 13: aliae quoque artes minores habent multiplicem materiam, velut architectonice,Quint. 2, 21, 8: sermonibus ejus fruebar, veluti fuit illa sermocinatio,Gell. 19, 8, 1.
* To introduce a comparison or figurative expression, as, like, as it were: concurrunt veluti venti, cum spiritus Austri, etc., Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Ann. v. 423 Vahl.); 6, 3 (ib. v. 431 ib.): frena dabat Sipylus, veluti cum, etc.,Ov. M. 6, 231: migrantes cernas totāque ex urbe ruentes, Ac, veluti ingentem formicae farris acervum Cum populant, etc.,Verg. A. 4, 402; cf. supra, I. B.: hic velut hereditate relictum odium paternum conservavit, etc.,Nep. Hann. 1, 3: quoddam simplex orationis condimentum, quod sentitur latente judicio velut palato,Quint. 6, 3, 19: ducetur rerum ipsā serie velut duce,id. 10, 7, 6: haec velut sagina dicendi, id. 10, 5, 17: inaequalia tantum et velut confragosa,id. 8, 5, 29: haec est velut imperatoria virtus,id. 7, 10, 13.
* To introduce a hypothetical comparative clause, just as if, just as though, as if, as though.
* Usually velut si: absentis Ariovisti crudelitatem, velut si coram adesset, horrerent,Caes. B. G. 1, 32: tantus patres metus de summā rerum cepit, velut si jam ad portas hostis esset,Liv. 21, 16, 2; Quint. 2, 13, 1: velut si urbem adgressurus Scipio foret, ita, etc.,Liv. 29, 28, 9: facies inducitur illis (corporibus mixtis) Una, velut si quis, etc.,Ov. M. 4, 375.
* Sometimes, in this sense, velut alone: saepe, velut gemmas ejus signumque probarem, Per causam memini me tetigisse manum,Tib. 1, 6, 25 (21); Ov. M. 4, 596: velut ea res nihil ad religionem pertinuisset,Liv. 2, 36, 1: velut abundarent omnia,id. 2, 41, 9: me quoque juvat, velut ipse in parte laboris ac periculi fuerim, ad finem pervenisse, etc.,id. 31, 1, 1 Weissenb. ad loc.