retundo

rĕ-tundo, tŭdi (also rettŭdi, Phaedr. 4, 22, 21 Orell. N. cr. ), tūsum (retunsus, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 27; 4, 4, 8), 3, v. a., to beat or pound back any thing sharp, i. e. to blunt, dull (class.).

I.

Lit.:

ferrum,

Cic. Sull. 30, 83:

in Massagetas ferrum,

Hor. C. 1, 35, 39:

gladios in rem publicam destrictos,

Cic. Cat. 3, 1, 2:

ascias (tilia),

Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 207:

hamata tela,

Ov. Am. 2, 9, 13; cf.:

conjurationis nefaria tela,

Cic. Dom. 24, 63. —

II.

Trop., to blunt, dull, deaden, weaken, restrain, check, etc.:

(censorii stili) mucronem,

Cic. Clu. 44, 123:

mucronem ingenii cotidianā pugnā,

Quint. 10, 5, 16 (with deteratur fulgor): belle iste puer retundit Antonium, Atticus ap. Cic. Att. 16, 15, 3:

collegam,

Tac. A. 5, 11:

animum, qui luxuriā et lasciviā Diffluit,

check, repress, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 73; so,

impetum erumpentium,

Liv. 2, 33: sermones, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 6, 1; cf.:

Aetolorum linguas,

Liv. 33, 31: improbitatem, Lentul. ap. Cic. Fam. 12, 14, 3; Quint. 6, 4, 11 (with propulsare eos):

superbiam,

Phaedr. 4, 22, 21:

iram,

Prud. Cath. 6, 94; cf.:

Boreas retundit pelagus (ira motum),

Luc. 5, 601 Cort. N. cr. — Hence, rĕ-tūsus (retunsus, v. supra), a, um, P. a., blunted, blunt, dull.

A.

Lit.:

securis,

Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 27:

ferrum,

Verg. G. 2, 301:

tela,

Ov. M. 12, 496:

retusum et crassum ferramentum,

Col. 4, 24, 21:

aurum hebeti mucrone,

Lucr. 5, 1274.—

B.

Trop.:

mihi cor retunsum'st oppugnando pectore,

deprived of feeling, Plaut. Ps. 4, 4, 8:

cor,

Claud. Eutr. 2, 47:

ingenia (opp. acuta),

Cic. Div. 1, 36, 79 fin.:

stella crine retuso,

weakened, dimmed, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 185; cf. comp.:

acumen retusius,

Hier. Ep. 69, 4:

fervor belli,

subdued, Sil. 8, 321:

res,

impaired, unfortunate, id. 16, 21.