mĭnŭo — Lewis & Short
mĭnŭo, ŭi, ūtum, 3, v. a. and n.Sanscr. mi, lessen, change; Gr. minu/w, minu/qw; cf.: mei/wn = minor; Germ. minder, vermindern.
I Act., to make smaller, to lessen, diminish; lit. and trop.
A Lit. (rare and mostly poet.):
ramaliaque arida tecto Detulit, et minuit,broke in pieces, Ov. M. 8, 645:
ligna,to chop into small pieces, id. F. 2, 647:
portarum objectus,to dash in pieces, Stat. Th. 10, 526:
dentes in limine,id. ib. 10, 47:
sanguinem,to let blood, Veg. Vet. 1, 16, 2;
in the same signif., simply minuere,id. ib. 1, 22, 1.—
B Trop., to lessen, diminish, lower, reduce, weaken, abate, restrict (very freq. and class.):
imperium matris,Plaut. As. 3, 1, 6:
sumptus civitatum,Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 2:
(rem familiarem),Hor. S. 2, 3, 177:
gradum,Quint. 2, 3, 7:
gloriam alicujus,Cic. Fl. 12, 28:
molestias vitae,id. Fin. 1, 16, 51:
cupiditates,id. ib.:
invidiam,id. Agr. 1, 5, 14:
opem,Caes. B. G. 5, 33:
auctoritatem,id. B. C. 3, 43:
minuuntur corporis artus,grow less, diminish in size, Ov. M. 7, 317:
minuuntur corpora siccis,Plin. 11, 54, 118, § 283:
consul alter proelio uno et vulnere suo minutus,discouraged, Liv. 21, 52, 2 (al. deminutus):
suspicionem profectionis,Cic. Att. 10, 16, 4:
controversias,to settle, put an end to, Caes. B. G. 5, 26:
minuenda est haec opinio,to be refuted, Cic. Off. 1, 22, 72:
magistratum, censuram,to restrict the power of, to limit, Liv. 4, 24:
majestatem populi Romani per vim,to violate, offend against, Cic. Phil. 1, 9, 21:
matris imperium,Plaut. As. 3, 1, 6:
religionem,Nep. Ages. 4, 8:
nec tu ea causa minueris Haec quae facis, ne is mutet suam sententiam,Ter. And. 2, 3, 19:
consilium,to alter, change, id. Hec. 4, 3, 10:
condemnationem,to commute, Gai. Inst. 3, 224; 4, 57.—
II Neutr., to diminish, grow less:
minuente aestu,at the ebbing of the tide, Caes. B. G. 3, 12, 1:
minuente lunā,waning, Pall. 3, 24; Sedul. 1, 243; cf.:
crescentis minuentisque sideris species,Plin. 37, 10, 67, § 181.—Hence, mĭnūtus, a, um, P. a. (diminished; hence), little, small, minute (class.).
A Lit.: pueri minuti (opp. majores), Varr. ap. Non. 141, 18: id omnes magni minutique, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 45.—Of things:
litterae,Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 68:
minuta ac brevia folia,Plin. 12, 24, 53, § 111:
ossa,Lucr. 1, 835:
opuscula,Cic. Ac. 2, 38, 120:
itinera,Suet. Aug. 82:
aere minuto qualiacumque somnia vendere,Juv. 6, 546:
facies minutae,miniature portraits, id. 14, 291.—Comp.:
minutior ac mage pollens,Lucr. 4, 318.—Sup.:
minutissimis ictibus excarnificatus,Suet. Vit. 17:
res,little things, trifles, Cic. Clu. 64, 180:
res minutissimae et contemptibiles,Aug. Conf. 10, 35, 4:
aves,Col. 8, 5, 10.—
B Trop., petty, paltry, insignificant.
1 Of persons:
alii minuti et angusti,Cic. Fin. 1, 18, 61:
philosophi,id. Div. 1, 30, 62:
imperatores,id. Brut. 73, 256:
plebes,Phaedr. 4, 6, 13.—
2 Of things: canto carmina versibus minutis, Poët. ap. Plin. Ep. 4, 27, 4:
genus orationis,Cic. de Or. 2, 38, 159:
minuti est animi voluptas ultio,Juv. 13, 189.— Hence, subst.: mĭnūtum, i, n., the smallest piece of money, a mite, farthing:
novissimum reddere,Vulg. Luc. 12, 59; cf.:
aes minutum,id. ib. 21, 2.—Plur.
(a) The little (opp. longa), Calp. Ecl. 5, 7.—
(b) Minutes, points, very small parts, Amm. 20, 3, 2; Gram. Vet. p. 374, 11.—
(g) Comp.:
illa minutiora,those less important matters, Aur. Vict. Epit. 48, 18.—Hence, adv., in two forms.
1 mĭnūtē, into small or fine pieces, finely, minutely (class.).
A Lit.:
sal minute tritus,Col. 6, 17, 7:
minutissime commolere,id. 12, 28, 1:
historia minutissime scripta,in an extremely small hand, Sen. Ep. 95, 2.—
B Trop.
(a) In a petty or paltry manner:
res minutius tractare,Cic. Fin. 4, 3, 7.—
(b) Minutely, closely, accurately:
minutius et scrupulosius scrutantur omnia,Quint. 5, 14, 28.—
2 mĭnūtim, into small pieces, finely, minutely (ante-class. and post-Aug.):
concidere,Cato, R. R. 123:
scoria minutim fracta,Plin. 34, 18, 51, § 171; Gell. 17, 8, 2.—
B With short steps, trippingly:
equus ambulans,Veg. Vet. 1, 56, 39:
deambulare,id. ib. 2, 53, 3.