electa

ē-lĭgo, lēgi, lectum, 3, v. a. [lĕgo], to pick out, choose, elect (class.; esp. in the trop. sense; cf.:

coöpto, designo, deligo, seligo): pedes e capite et e collo pullorum,

Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 14:

uvam ad edendum (with legere),

id. ib. 1, 54, 2:

herbas,

to pluck up, to weed out, id. ib. 1, 47; Col. 4, 5; cf.

trop.,

Cic. Tusc. 3, 34, 83 and 84:

ex malis minima,

Cic. Off. 3, 1, 3: ut de tribus Antoniis eligas quem velis, id. Phil. 10, 2, 5:

a multis commodissimum quodque,

id. Inv. 2, 2, 5:

ut in comparando difficile ad eligendum sit, quid maxime velis,

id. Rep. 1, 35 fin. et saep.— Absol., to choose correctly, make a proper selection: haud semper errat fama;

aliquando et elegit,

Tac. Agr. 9 fin. —Hence, ēlectus, a, um, P. a.

I.

In gen., picked, selected; select, choice, excellent:

par columbarum,

Petr. 85, 6:

viri electissimi civitatis,

Cic. Quint. 2:

pugiles,

Suet. Calig. 18:

quisque,

id. ib. 49:

electissima verba,

Cic. Fin. 3, 7 fin. Madv. N. cr.; Auct. Her. 4, 26, 36; cf.:

electius verbum,

id. ib.;

scripta,

Cat. 36, 6:

res,

Petr. 36, 4 et saep.—In the neutr. subst.: ēlecta, ōrum, selections, Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 17.— Adv.: ēlecte choicely, Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 49.— Comp., Gell. 18, 7, 2.—

II.

In eccl. Lat., chosen of God, elected to be saved, Vulg. Col. 3, 12 et saep.