tenax

tĕnax, ācis, adj. [id.], holding fast, griping, tenacious.

I.

Lit.

A.

In gen. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

prensatque tenaci forcipe ferrum,

Verg. A. 12, 404; 8, 453; cf.:

dente tenaci Ancora fundabat naves,

id. ib. 6, 3:

vinclum,

id. G. 4, 412; Ov. M. 11, 252:

complexus,

id. ib. 4, 377:

lappa,

id. P. 2, 1, 14:

hedera arborem implicat,

Cat. 61, 34:

loca limosa tenacia gravi caeno,

Tac. A. 1, 63:

amplexus,

App. M. 9, p. 219, 17:

maltha, quae est res omnium tenacissima,

Plin. 36, 24, 58, § 181.— With gen.:

herba asperitate etiam vestium tenaci,

Plin. 27, 5, 15, § 32. — Comp.:

cutis tenacior capilli,

Plin. 22, 22, 39, § 82.—

b.

Subst.: tĕnāces, ĭum, m., things that hold fast. i. e. bands, stalks, or pedicles of fruit, etc., Pall. Febr. 18, 1; 25, 9; id. Mart. 10, 4 and 9; id. Sept. 17.—

B.

In partic., holding fast to wealth, power, etc., griping, sparing, niggardly, stingy, tenacious (class.;

syn. parcus): filius familias patre parco ac tenaci,

Cic. Cael. 15, 36: He. Tenaxne pater ejus est? Phi. Immo edepol pertinax, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 39:

parcus, truculentus, tenax,

Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 12:

eosdem restrictos et tenaces fuisse,

Cic. Planc. 22, 54:

non tenax in largitate,

Spart. Car. 5.—With gen.:

genus Quaesiti tenax,

Ov. M. 7, 657.— Comp.:

milites tenaciores eorum (armorum) in proelio,

Suet. Caes. 67.—

C.

Transf., of things, that holds or sticks fast: jacere in tenaci gramine, that clings together, i. e. matted, Hor. Epod. 2, 24.— Sup.:

glaebis tenacissimum solum,

Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 10:

cerae,

sticky, viscid, Verg. G. 4, 161:

turpe referre pedem nec passu stare tenaci,

Ov. P. 2, 6, 21.— Comp.:

pondere tenacior navis,

Liv. 28, 30, 11:

panicula glutino tenacior,

Plin. 16, 36, 64, § 158.—

II.

Trop.

A.

Holding fast, retentive, firm, steadfast, persistent, tenacious (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose); usually joined with gen.:

memoria tenacissima,

Quint. 1, 1, 19:

naturā tenacissimi sumus eorum, quae rudibus annis percepimus,

id. 1, 1, 5:

pertinacem ultra modum esse tenacem propositi,

id. 11, 1, 90; so,

propositi,

Hor. C. 3, 3, 1; Ov. M. 10, 405:

tenacem esse sui juris debet,

Col. 1, 7, 2:

disciplinae tenacissimus,

Plin. Ep. 10, 85 (17):

justitiae,

Juv. 8, 25:

ficti pravique (Fama),

Verg. A. 4, 188:

veri,

Pers. 5, 48:

amicitiarum,

Vell. 2, 29, 3:

exempli sui,

id. 2, 84, 3 Ruhnk.:

animi,

Manil. 4, 165:

longa tenaxque fides,

Ov. Am. 2, 6, 14.—

B.

In a bad sense, stubborn, obstinate:

equus contra sua vincla tenax,

Ov. Am. 3, 4, 13; so,

equus,

Liv. 39, 25, 13;

and in a lusus verbb.: si esses equos, esses indomabilis... nimis tenax es,

Plaut. Cas. 4, 3, 13:

cum video, quam sint mea fata tenacia, frangor,

Ov. P. 1, 2, 63:

ira Caesaris,

id. ib. 1, 9, 28:

morbi,

Suet. Claud. 2.— Adv.: tĕnācĭter, closely, firmly, strongly, tightly, tenaciously.

a.

Lit.:

pressisse tenaciter ungues,

Ov. H. 9, 21:

vincire,

Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 6.— Comp.:

apprehendere,

Val. Max. 7, 5, 2; Macr. S. 7, 3:

habitare,

Aug. Ep. 6.—

b.

Trop., persistently, firmly:

urgere,

Ov. H. 3, 43.— Comp., Sol. 52, § 44; Amm. 25, 4, 4.— Sup., App. M. 5, p. 167, 22.