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Lewis & Short Latin Dictionary
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Words With Similar Definitions
Latin1: colloco 2: repono 3: appono 4: statuo 5: decedo
Greek1: tithêmi 2: katatithêmi 3: paratithêmi 4: epitithêmi 5: poieô
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pôno, posui (Plaut. posîvi), positum, 3 (old form of perf. POSEIVEI, Inscr. Orell. 3308: posivi, Plaut. Ps. 5.1.35: posivimus, id. Fragm. ap. Prisc. p. 898 P.: posiverunt, Cato, R. R. praef. 1: posiveris, id. ib. 4, 1; Plaut. Trin. 1.2.108: POSIERunt, Inscr. Orell. 5061: POSIT, contr. from posivit, ib. 71; 732; 1475; 3087 al.; part. perf. sync. postus, a, um, Lucr. 1, 1059; 3, 87; 6, 965), v. a. [for posno, posino, from old prep. port, = proti, pros, and sino; cf.: porricio, pollingo, etc., and v. pro, sino], to put or set down a person or thing, to put, place, set, lay, etc. (syn.: colloco, statuo); constr. with acc. alone, or with in and abl., or with adv. of place; sometimes with in and acc., or absol.; v. infra.

I. Lit.

A. In gen.: tabulas in aerario ponere, Caes. B. C. 3, 108: castra, to pitch, id. ib. 1, 65 fin.: castra iniquo loco, id. ib. 1, 81: milia passuum tria ab eorum castris castra ponit, id. B. G. 1.22 fin.: qui indicabantur, in senatu sunt positi, Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 9, 3, 50: tabulas obsignatas in publico, Cic. Fl. 9.21: sejuges in Capitolio aurati a P. Cornelio positi, Liv. 38, 35, 4: tyrannicidae imago in gymnasio ponatur, Quint. 7, 7, 5; cf. id. 1, 7, 12: collum in Pulvere, Hor. C. 4.6.11; cf.: artus in litore ponunt, Verg. A. 1.173; and with simple abl.: saxo posuit latus, Val. Fl. 4, 378: in curulibus sellis sese posuerunt, seated themselves, Flor. 1, 13.--With in and acc.: hodierno die primum longo intervallo in possessionem libertatis pedem ponimus, Cic. Phil. 3.11.28 B. and K. (Klotz, possessione): Cyzici in Prytaneum vasa aurea mensae unius posuit, Liv. 41, 20, 7 Weissenb. ad loc.: stipes erat, quem ... in flammam triplices posuere sorores, Ov. M. 8.452: omnia pone feros in ignes, id. R. Am. 719: oleas in solem, Cato, R. R. 7: coronam in caput, Gell. 3, 15, 3.--With sub and abl.: pone sub curru nimium propinqui, Hor. C. 1.22.21: fundamenta, Vulg. 1 Esd. 6, 3: ubi pedem poneret non habebat, might set his foot, Cic. Fin. 4, 25, 69: genu or genua, to bow the knee, to kneel, Ov. F. 2, 438; 5, 507; Curt. 8, 7, 13: num genu posuit? num vocem supplicem misit? id. 4, 6, 28: oculos, to cast one's eyes on, Vulg. Jer. 24, 6: faciem, to turn one's face, id. ib. 42, 15.--

B. In partic.

1. In milit. lang., to place, post, set, station a body of troops: ibi praesidium ponit, Caes. B. G. 2.5: praesidium ibi, id. B. C. 1, 47 fin.: legionem tuendae orae maritimae causâ, id. ib. 3, 34: insidias contra aliquem, Cic. Agr. 2.18.49.--

2. To set up, erect, build (mostly poet.): opus, Ov. M. 8.160: templa, Verg. A. 6.19: aras, id. ib. 3.404: tropaeum, Nep. Dat. 8, 3; so, in inscrr., of erecting monuments of any kind: POSVIT, PONENDVM CVRAVIT (usu. abbreviated P. C.), etc.: columna rostrata quae est Duilio in foro posita, in honor of Duilius, Quint. 1, 7, 12.--

3. Hence, poet., to form, fashion works of art: Alcimedon duo pocula fecit ... Orpheaque in medio posuit, Verg. E. 3.46: hic saxo liquidis ille coloribus Sollers nunc hominem ponere, nunc deum, Hor. C. 4.8.8.--

4. To set, set out, plant trees, etc. (poet. and in postAug. prose; syn.: planto, sero): pone ordine vites, Verg. E. 1.74: vitem, Col. 4, 1; cf.: ille et nefasto te (arbor) posuit die, planted thee, Hor. C. 2.13.1.--

5. To lay, stake, wager, as a forfeit; to lay down, propose, as a prize: pono pallium; Ille suum anulum opposuit, Plaut. Curc. 2.3.76: pocula fagina, Verg. E. 3.36: invitat pretiis animos et praemia ponit, id. A. 5.292: praemia, id. ib. 5.486: praemium, Liv. 41, 23, 10.--

6. In business lang., to put out at interest, to loan, to invest (less freq. than collocare): pecuniam in praedio ponere, Cic. Tull. § 15 Orell.; cf.: pecuniam apud aliquem, id. Verr. 2.3.70.§ 165: dives positis in fenore nummis, Hor. A. P. 421: pecuniam Quaerit Kalendis ponere, id. Epod. 2, 70.--

7. To place, set, appoint a person as a watch or guard, accuser, etc. (less freq. than apponere): Dumnorigi custodes ponit, ut, quae agat, scire possit, Caes. B. G. 1.20 fin.: custos frumento publico est positus, Cic. Fl. 19.45: alicui accusatorem, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 12, 3: puer super hoc positus officium, Petr. 56, 8.--

8. To serve up, set before one at table (rare for the class. apponere), Cato, R. R. 79; so id. ib. 81: posito pavone, Hor. S. 2, 2, 23; 2, 4, 14; 2, 6, 64; 2, 8, 91; id. A. P. 422: positi Bacchi cornua, Ov. A. A. 1, 231: vinum, Petr. 34, 7: calidum scis ponere sumen, Pers. 1, 53: porcum, Mart. 8, 22, 1: da Trebio, pone ad Trebium, Juv. 5, 135.--

9. To lay aside, take off, put down, lay down, etc. (as clothing, arms, books, the hair or beard, etc., = deponere): cum pila ludere vellet tunicamque poneret, Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 60; cf.: veste positâ, id. ib. 1, 47, 113: velamina, Ov. A. A. 2, 613; cf.: velamina de corpore, id. M. 4.345: arma, Caes. B. G. 4.37: sarcinam, Petr. 117, 11: barbam, Suet. Calig. 5; cf.: bicolor positis membrana capillis, Pers. 3, 10: libros de manibus, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 23; cf.: cum posui librum, et mecum ipse coepi cogitare, id. Tusc. 1, 11, 24.--

10. To lay out for the grave: toroque Mortua componar, positaeque det oscula frater, Ov. M. 9.503; Verg. A. 2.644.--Also, to lay in the grave, to bury, inter (poet. and in post-class. prose; syn.: sepelio, condo): corpore posto, Lucr. 3, 871: te ... patriâ decedens ponere terrâ, Verg. A. 6.508; Ov. F. 5, 480: ubi corpus meum positum fuerit, Dig. 34, 1, 18 fin.; Inscr. Orell. 4370: IN HAC CVPA MATER ET FILIVS POSITI SVNT, ib. 4550; 4495: HIC POSITVS EST, Inscr. in Boeckh. C. I. Gr. 4156: CINERES, Inscr. Orell. 4393; 4489.--

11. Ponere calculum or calculos, transf., to weigh carefully, to ponder, consider: si bene calculum ponas, Petr. 115, 16: examina tecum, omnesque, quos ego movi, in utrâque parte calculos pone, Plin. Ep. 2, 19 fin.--

12. To arrange, deck, set in order (cf. compono): qui suas ponunt in statione comas, Ov. A. A. 3, 434: quid totiens positas fingis, inepta, comas? id. ib. 1, 306; cf. id. H. 4, 77; id. M. 1.477.--

13. To subdue, calm, allay, quiet: quo non arbiter Hadriae Major, tollere seu ponere vult freta, Hor. C. 1.3.16: magnos cum ponunt aequora motus, Prop. 4 (5), 14, 31.--Hence, neutr., of the winds, to fall, abate (poet. and late Lat.): cum venti posuere omnisque repente resedit Flatus, Verg. A. 7.27: tum Zephyri posuere, id. ib. 10.103: simul ac ventus posuit, Gell. 2, 30, 2.

II. Trop.

A. In gen., to set, place, put, lay a thing anywhere: noenum ponebat rumores ante salutem, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 314 Vahl.): pone ante oculos laetitiam senatûs, Cic. Phil. 2.45.115: at te apud eum, di boni! quantâ in gratiâ posui, id. Att. 6, 6, 4; cf. id. ib. 5, 11, 6; 6, 1, 22: ponite me ei (Appio) in gratiâ, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 6, 5: apud Lentulum ponam te in gratiâ, Cic. Att. 5, 3, 3 B. and K. (Orell. gratiam): se quoque in gratiâ reconciliatae pacis ponere, Liv. 44, 14, 7: in laude positus, Cic. Sest. 66.139: aliquem in metu non ponere, i. e. not to fear, id. Top. 13, 55: virtutum fundamenta in voluptate tamquam in aquâ ponere, id. Fin. 2, 22, 72; cf. id. Pis. 4.9: aliquid in conspectu animi, id. de Or. 3, 40, 161; cf.: sub uno aspectu ponere, Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 1, 1: ponendus est ille ambitus, non abiciendus, to lay down gently, i. e. close gracefully, Cic. Or. 59, 199: super cor, to lay to heart, Vulg. Mal. 2, 2.--With in and acc.: te in crimen populo ponat atque infamiam, Plaut. Trin. 3.3.11.--Elliptically: et quidem cum in mentem venit, ponor ad scribendum, when it occurs to Cœsar, he sets me (i. e. my name) to the Senate's decrees, Cic. Fam. 9, 15, 4.--

B. In partic.

1. Ponere aliquid in aliquâ re, to put or place a thing in something, to cause a thing to rest or depend upon: credibile non est, quantum ego in consiliis et prudentiâ tuâ, quantum in amore et fide ponam, Cic. Att. 2, 23, 3: spem in aliquo, id. ib. 6, 1, 11: salutis auxilium in celeritate, Caes. B. G. 5.48; cf.: spem salutis in virtute, id. ib. 5.34.2: ut in dubio poneret, utrum, etc., regarded as doubtful, doubted, Liv. 34, 5, 3: sed haec haud in magno equidem ponam discrimine, I shall attach no great importance to it, id. prooem. § 8.--In pass.: positum esse in aliquâ re, to be based or founded upon, to rest upon, depend upon: ut salutem praesentium, spem reliquorum in vestris sententiis positam esse et defixam putetis, Cic. Fl. 1.3; id. Agr. 2.9.22: omnia posita putamus in Planci tui liberalitate, id. Att. 16, 16, F, 2; id. Or. 8, 27: in te positum est, ut, etc., id. Att. 16, 16, B, § 8. --

2. To lay out, spend, employ a thing, esp. time, in any thing: tempus in cogitatione ponere, Cic. de Or. 3, 5, 17: si in hac curâ vita mihi ponenda sit, id. Fam. 9, 24, 4: diem totum in considerandâ causâ, id. Brut. 22, 87; cf. id. Fam. 5, 21, 1; id. Att. 6, 2, 6: sumptum, id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 2; id. Fam. 13, 54 fin.; cf.: totum animum atque omnem curam, operam diligentiamque suam in petitione, id. Mur. 22.45: id multo tum faciemus liberius totosque nos in contemplandis rebus perspiciendisque ponemus, id. Tusc. 1, 19, 44: apud gratissimum hominem beneficium ponere, id. Fam. 13, 55 fin.: itinera enim ita facit, ut multos dies in oppidum ponat, id. Att. 11, 22, 2.--

3. To put, place, count, reckon, consider a thing in or among certain things: mortem in malis, Cic. Fin. 3, 8, 29: in beneficii loco, id. Fam. 15, 4, 12; id. Cat. 2.9.20: si quis motus populi factus esset, id C. Norbano in fraude capitali esse ponendum, id. de Or. 2, 48, 199: in laude, to regard as praiseworthy, id. Top. 18, 71: in vitiis poni, to be regarded as a fault, Nep. Epam. 1, 2.--

4. To appoint, ordain, make something: leges, Cic. Verr. 2.5.11.§ 28: festos laetosque ritus, Tac. H. 5, 5 fin.: ut male posuimus initia, sic cetera sequentur, Cic. Att. 10, 18, 2: ne tu in spem ponas me bonae frugi fore, to hope for, reckon upon, Plaut. Capt. 5.2.4 Fleck.: nomen, to apply or give a name (= imponere): sunt enim rebus novis nova ponenda nomina, Cic. N. D. 1, 17, 44; id. Tusc. 3, 5, 10; Verg. A. 7.63: qui tibi nomen Insano posuere, Hor. S. 2, 3, 48: rationem, to furnish an account, to reckon, Suet. Oth. 7; cf. Col. 1, 3: pecuniae, Dig. 46, 3, 89.--

5. To make or render vows or votive offerings to the gods: Veneri ponere vota, Prop. 3, 12, 18: nunc ego victrices lauro redimire tabellas, Nec Veneris mediâ ponere in aede morer, Ov. Am. 1, 11, 25: hic ponite lucida Funalia et vectes, Hor. C. 3.26.6: libatum agricolae ponitur ante deo, Tib. 1, 1, 14; Ov. M. 3.506: ex praedâ tripodem aureum Delphi posuit, Nep. Paus. 2, 3.--

6. In speaking or writing, to lay down as true, to state, assume, assert, maintain, allege, take for granted, etc.: quamobrem, ut paulo ante posui, si, etc., Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 21; id. Fin. 2, 31, 100: recte Magnus ille noster, me audiente, posuit in judicio, rem publicam, etc., id. Leg. 2, 3, 6: verum pono, esse victum eum; at, etc., Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 25: positum sit igitur in primis, etc., Cic. Or. 4, 14: hoc posito atque concesso, esse quandam vim divinam, etc., id. Div. 1, 52, 118; cf.: quo posito, et omnium sensu adprobato, id. Fin. 3, 8, 29; id. Leg. 2, 19, 48: pono satis in eo fuisse orationis atque ingenii, id. Brut. 45, 165: aliquid pro certo ponere, Liv. 10.9 fin.: nunc rem ipsam ponamus quam illi non negant ... Est haec res posita, quae ab adversario non negatur, Cic. Caecin. 11.32.--

7. Esp.: exemplum ponere, to cite an instance: eorum quae constant exempla ponemus, Cic. Inv. 1, 38, 68: perspicuo et grandi vitio praeditum posuimus exemplum, id. ib. 1, 47, 88: ab adjunctis antea posui exemplum, id. Top. 11, 50: horum exempla posui ex jure civili, id. ib. 14, 58: horum generum ex Cicerone exempla ponamus, Quint. 5, 11, 11; 6, 3, 108 al.--

8. To set before the mind, represent, describe: nec ponere lucum Artifices, nec, etc., Pers. 1, 70: pone Tigellinum, Juv. 1, 155.--

9. To propose, offer, fix upon a theme for discussion (= proponere): mihi nunc vos quaestiunculam, de quâ meo arbitratu loquar, ponitis? Cic. de Or. 1, 22, 102; 2, 1, 2: ponere aliquid, ad quod audiam, si tibi non est molestum, volo, id. Fat. 2, 4; cf.: ponere jubebam, de quo quis audire vellet, id. Tusc. 1, 4, 7: ponere praemium, Liv. 39, 17, 1; and impers. pass.: doctorum est ista consuetudo eaque Graecorum, ut iis ponatur, de quo disputent quamvis subito, id. Lael. 5.17; so, cum ita positum esset, videri, etc., id. Tusc. 3.22.54.--

10. To put away, leave off, dismiss, forego, lay down, surrender (= deponere): vitam propera ponere, Plaut. Curc. 4.3.4: vitia, Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 46: dolorem, id. Tusc. 3, 28, 66: inimicitias, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 6: curas, Liv. 1.19: metum, Plin. Ep. 5, 6: iram, Hor. A. P. 160: moras, id. C. 4.12.25; Ov. F. 2, 816: animos feroces, Liv. 8.1: corda ferocia, Verg. A. 1.302: vires (flammae), id. ib. 5.681: ipsum rudimentum adulescentiae bello lacessentem Romanos posuisse, had obtained his first experience, Liv. 31, 11 fin.; Suet. Ner. 22; also, tirocinium, Just. 12, 4, 6: animam, to lay down life, Vulg. Johan. 10, 15; 17.--Esp., milit. t. t.: arma ponere (= deponere), to lay down arms, yield, surrender: Nepesinis inde edictum ut arma ponant, Liv. 6.10.5: dedi imperatorem, arma poni jubet, id. 4.10.3; cf.: positis armis, id. 35, 36, 4; id. Epit. 88.--

11. To make, cause to be (eccl. Lat.): cornu tuum ponam ferreum, Vulg. Mich. 4, 13: posuit me desolatam, id. Thren. 3, 11; with quasi: ponam Samariam quasi acervum, id. Mich. 1, 6; with in and acc.: posuerunt eam in ruinam, id. Isa. 23, 13.--

12. To assume, suppose, put a case (of mere suppositions; only late Lat.; cf. 6 supra): pone tamen ab evangelistis scriptum, Ambros. de Fide, 5, 16, 194; Ps.-Quint. Decl. 273.--Hence, positus, a, um, P. a., of localities, placed, situated; situate, standing, lying anywhere: Roma in montibus posita, Cic. Agr. 2.35.96: Delos in Aegaeo mari posita, id. Imp. Pomp. 18.55: portus ex adverso urbi positus, Liv. 45, 5: tumulus opportune ad id positus, id. 28, 13: urbs alieno solo posita, id. 4.17.--Poet.: somno positus = sopitus, lulled to sleep, Verg. A. 4.527.