gĕnĕrōsus — Lewis & Short
gĕnĕrōsusa, um, adj.genus,
I of good or noble birth, noble, eminent (class.).
I Lit.:
generosa ac nobilis virgo (opp. mulier ignota),Cic. Par. 3, 1, 20:
civili generosa ab stirpe profectus,id. Div. 1, 12, 20:
generosissima femina,Suet. Tib. 49; cf.:
viderat a veteris generosam sanguine Teucri Iphis Anaxareten, humili de stirpe creatus,Ov. M. 14, 698:
non quia, Maecenas, nemo generosior est te ... naso suspendis adunco Ignotos,Hor. S. 1, 6, 2; cf. id. 24: quamquam ego naturam unam et communem omnium existimo, sed fortissimum quemque generosissimum, Sall. J. 85, 15:
nominibus generosus avitis,Ov. Tr. 4, 4, 1:
Maeoniā generose domo,Verg. A. 10, 141:
miles,i. e. the Fabii, Ov. F. 2, 199:
o generosam stirpem!Cic. Brut. 58, 213:
atria,Ov. F. 1, 591:
quis enim generosum dixerit hunc?Juv. 8, 30:
sapiens et nobilis et generosus,id. 7, 191; 8, 224.—
B Transf., of animals, plants, etc., of a good or noble species, noble, superior, excellent (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose):
sues,of a noble stock, Plin. 11, 40, 95, § 233:
pecus,Verg. G. 3, 75:
equus,Quint. 5, 11, 4; Symm. Ep. 4, 61:
leones generosissimi,Plin. 10, 21, 24, § 47:
testa (i. e. concha),Hor. S. 2, 4, 31:
ostrea,Plin. 32, 6, 21, § 61:
generosum et lene requiro (vinum),of a good sort, generous, Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 18; cf.
vitis,Col. 3, 2 fin.; 3, 2, 17:
pruna,Ov. M. 13, 818; cf.:
generosissima mala,Plin. 15, 17, 18, § 64:
quod est pomum generosissimum? nonne quod optimum?Quint. 5, 11, 4:
sorba,Plin. 15, 21, 23, § 85:
obsonium,id. 15, 29, 35, § 118:
arbor,Quint. 8, 3, 76:
flos,Ov. F. 5, 211 al.:
generosos palmite colles,id. M. 15, 710; cf.:
insula inexhaustis Chalybum generosa metallis,Verg. A. 10, 174.—
II Trop.
A Of persons, noble-minded, magnanimous, generous:
cum de imperio certamen esset cum rege generoso ac potente (Pyrrho),Cic. Off. 3, 22, 86; cf.:
quid homo? nonne is generosissimus qui optimus?Quint. 5, 11, 4:
Alexander generosi spiritus imperator,Plin. 8, 40, 61, § 149:
quis enim generosum dixerit hunc qui Indignus genere,Juv. 8, 30.—
B Of things, noble, dignified, honorable:
humilis et minime generosus ortus amicitiae,Cic. Lael. 9, 29:
quaedam generosa virtus,id. Tusc. 2, 6, 16:
Dolabella, vir simplicitatis generosissimae,Vell. 2, 125 fin.:
quo generosior celsiorque est (animus),Quint. 1, 2, 3; id. 2, 4, 4:
forma magnifica et generosa quodammodo,Cic. Brut. 75, 261;
quoted by Suet. paraphrastically,Suet. Caes. 55: quicquid est in oratione generosius, Quint. prooem. 24: tamen emerui generosos vestis honores, i. e. the dress of honor (of a mother of three children), Prop. 4, 11, 61. —Hence, * adv.: gĕnĕrōse (acc. to II.), nobly:
generosius Perire quaerens,Hor. C. 1, 37, 21.