vĕl-ut — Lewis & Short
vĕl-ut or vĕl-ŭti, adv. (cf. vel, II.),
I even as, just as, like as.
I Correl., with a foll. sic or ita (very rare).
A 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.—
B In partic., to introduce comparisons: veluti Consul, cum, etc. ... sic exspectabat populus, etc., Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 87 Vahl.):
ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe coorta est Seditio ... Sic, etc.,Verg. A. 1 148; v. infra, II. B. 2., and atque, II. 4.—
II Absol.
A 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.—
B In partic.
1 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.—
2 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.—
3 To introduce a hypothetical comparative clause, just as if, just as though, as if, as though.
a 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.—
b 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.