adtenuo

at-tĕnŭo ( adt-, Lachm., Merk., Weissenb.; att-, Kayser, K. and H., L. Müller), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to make thin or weak; to thin, attenuate; to weaken, enfeeble; to lessen, diminish.

I.

Lit.: aëna Signa manus dextras ostendunt adtenuari Saepe salutantūm tactu, * Lucr. 1, 317 (cf.:

attritum mentum,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43 ):

bellum (servile) exspectatione Pompeii attenuatum atque imminutum est, adventu sublatum ac sepultum,

Cic. Imp. Pomp. 11, 30:

legio proeliis attenuata,

Caes. B. C. 3, 89:

diutino morbo viribus admodum adtenuatis,

Liv. 39, 49; 25, 11:

fame attenuari,

Vulg. Job, 18, 12; ib. Jer. 14, 18:

macie attenuari,

ib. 2 Reg. 13, 4:

sortes adtenuatae,

diminished, Liv. 21, 62:

foliorum exilitate usque in fila attenuatā,

Plin. 21, 6, 16, § 30:

(lingua) attenuans lambendo cutem homines,

id. 11, 37, 65, § 172 al.:

Non falx attenuat frondatorum arboris umbram,

Cat. 64, 41:

adtenuant juvenum vigilatae corpora noctes,

Ov. A. A. 1, 735 (cf. infra, P. a.):

patrias opes,

id. M. 8, 844; so id. P. 4, 5, 38.—

II.

Trop.:

curas lyrā,

Ov. Tr. 4, 1, 16; 4, 6, 18:

luctus,

Albin. ad Liv. 342:

insignem attenuat deus,

brings low, abases, Hor. C. 1, 34, 13:

attenuabit omnes deos terrae,

Vulg. Soph. 2, 11: hujusmodi partes sunt virtutis amplificandae, si suadebimus; attenuandae, si ab his dehortabimur, Auct. ad. Her. 3, 3, 6:

attenuabitur gloria Jacob,

Vulg. Isa. 17, 4.—Hence, attĕnŭātus ( adt- ), a, um, P. a., enfeebled, weakened, reduced, weak.

I.

Lit.:

adtenuatus amore,

Ov. M. 3, 489: continuatione laborum, August. ap. Suet. Tib. 21: fortuna rei familiaris attenuatissima, Auct. ad Her. 4, 41:

voce paululum attenuatā,

with a voice a little suppressed, id. ib. 3, 14:

acuta atque attenuata nimis acclamatio,

id. ib. 12, 21.— Comp. not in use. — Sup.: fortunae familiares attenuatissimae, Auct. ad Her. 4, 41, 53.—

II.

Trop.

A.

Feeble, destitute, poor (eccl. Lat.):

Siattenuatus frater tuus vendiderit etc.,

Vulg. Lev. 25, 25; 25, 35; 25, 47; ib. 2 Esdr. 5, 18. —

B.

Esp., of discourse.

1.

Shortened, brief: ipsa illa [pro Roscio] juvenilis redundantia [p. 195] multa habet attenuata, Cic. Or. 30, 108.—

2.

Too much refined, affected:

itaque ejus oratio nimiā religione attenuata doctis et attente audientibus erat illustris,

hence his discourse was so delicately formed, through excessive scrupulousness, Cic. Brut. 82.—

3.

Meagre, dry, without ornament: attenuata (oratio) est, quae demissa est usque ad usitatissimam puri sermonis consuetudinem, Auct. ad Her. 4, 8:

attenuata verborum constructio,

id. ib. 4, 10, 15.—

* Adv.: at-tenuātē, simply:

attenuate presseque dicere,

Cic. Brut. 55, 201.