ab-nŭo — Lewis & Short
ab-nŭo, ŭi, ŭĭtum (hence abnŭĭturus, ūtum, 3, v. a. and n. (abnueo, Enn. ap.
Sall. Fragm. 1, 37 Kritz), or Diom. p. 378 P. or Ann. v. 283 Vahl.:I
abnuebunt,id. ib. or Trag. v. 371 id.), lit., to refuse by a nod (cf. Nigid. ap. Gell. 10, 4 fin.); hence, to deny, refuse, to decline doing a thing, to reject.
I Lit.
A In gen. (syn. recuso; opp. concedo), constr. absol., with the acc., the inf., quin, or de.
(a) Absol.:
non recuso, non abnuo,Cic. Mil. 36, 100; so Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 21; id. Truc. prol. 6; Hor. S. 2, 5, 52; Tac. A. 11, 12; id. Agr. 4 al.—
(b) With acc. (in Cic. only with general objects, as quid, nihil):
cum intellegas, quid quisque concedat, quid abnuat,Cic. Fin. 2, 1, 3:
nihil umquam abnuit meo studio voluntas tua,refused, id. Fat. 2, 3; so,
aliquid alicui: regi pacem neque abnuere neque pollicere,Sall. J. 47 fin.:
alia (opp. probo),id. ib. 83 fin.:
abnuere cognomen Bruti,Liv. 1, 56, 8:
imperium,id. 3, 66, 3; cf.:
imperium auspiciumque,to reject, id. 28, 27, 4:
regulae rationem,Quint. 1, 6, 33:
omen,Verg. A. 5, 531:
aliquem comitem inceptis,Sil. 3, 110. —
(g) With inf.:
certare abnueo, Enn. l. l.: nec abnuebant melioribus parere,Liv. 22, 13 fin.; so id. 22, 37, 4.—With acc. and inf.:
aeternam sibi naturam abnuit esse,Lucr. 3, 641; cf.:
abnueret a se commissum esse facinus,Cic. Leg. 1, 14, 40; and:
haud equidem abnuo egregium ducem fuisse Alexandrum,Liv. 9, 17, 5; so id. 5, 33, 4; 30, 20, 6; Quint. 5, 8, 3; 6, 2, 11 (opp. concedo); Verg. A. 10, 8 al.; cf.
also: manu abnuit quidquam opis in se esse,Liv. 36, 34, 6.—Impers.:
nec abnuitur ita fuisse,Liv. 3, 72, 6. —*
(d) With quin:
non abnuere se quin cuncta mala patefierent,Tac. A. 13, 14.— * (e) With de:
neque illi senatus de ullo negotio abnuere audebat,Sall. J. 84, 3.
B Esp., abnuens, like the Gr. a)peipw/n, declining service, giving up (very rare):
milites fessos itineris magnitudine et jam abnuentes omnia,Sall. J. 68, 3; cf.:
fessos abnuentesque taedio et labore,declining the combat, Liv. 27, 49, 3.
II Transf., of abstract subjects, not to admit of, to be unfavorable (poet. and in post-Aug. prose):
quod spes abnuit,Tib. 4, 1, 25:
quando impetus et subita belli locus abnueret,Tac. H. 5, 13:
hoc videretur, nisi abnueret duritia,Plin. 37, 10, 54, § 145.