Lewis & Short

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1. pŏlĭo, īvi and ĭi, ītum, 4 (imperf polibant, Verg. A. 8, 436), v. a. [root par, in parēre, appārere; cf. pulcher], to smooth, furbish, polish (class.; syn.: limo, levigo).

  1. I. Lit.: ROGVM ASCIA NE POLITO, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Leg. 2, 23, 59: parietem tectorio, Col. 8, 8, 3: daedala signa, Lucr. 5, 1451: gemmas cotibus, Plin. 37, 8, 32, § 109: ligna squatinae piscis cute, id. 32, 9, 34, § 108. marmora, id. 36, 6, 9, § 52: scabritiam ferri hircorum sanguine, id. 28, 9, 41, § 148: lapis politus, Vulg. 1 Macc. 13, 27: polite lanceas, id. Jer. 46, 4.
    1. B. Transf. (= apparare, curare, colere), to set off, adorn, decorate, embellish: causa poliendi agri, Enn. ap. Non. 66, 27 (Ann. v. 324 Vahl.); cf.: campi politi, id. ib. (Sat. v. 23 Vahl.); and: politus culturā fundus, Varr. R. R. 3, 2, 5: vestes, to scour, Plin. 35, 17, 57, § 197; cf. vestimenta, Dig. 47, 2, 12; Gai. Inst. 3, 143; 162: linum in filo, Plin. 19, 1, 3, § 18: minium in officinis, id. 33, 7, 40, § 122; cf. Sillig ad Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 60: domus polita, well-ordered, Phaedr. 4, 5, 26; cf.: regie polita aedificia, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 10.
  2. II. Trop., to polish, refine, improve, adorn: ignarus poliendae orationis, Cic. de Or. 1, 14, 63: ut opus poliat lima non exterat, Quint. 10, 4, 4: verba, id. 8, 6, 63: materiam versibus senariis, Phaedr. 1, prol. 2: carmina, Ov. P. 1, 5, 61: mores, Petr. 8.
    Hence, pŏlītus, a, um, P. a. (in the trop. sense), polished, accomplished, refined, cultivated, polite (class.): doctrinā homines,Lucr. 3, 307: homo politus e scholā, Cic. Pis. 25, 59: politus artibus, id. Fin. 1, 7, 26: homo (orator), id. de Or. 2, 58, 236: aliquem politum reddere, Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 6. accurata et polita oratio, Cic. Brut. 95, 326; cf.: ornata oratio et polita, id. de Or. 1, 8, 31; so, epistula, Plin. Ep. 7, 13, 2.
    Comp.: Crassus (in dicendo) politior et ornatior, Tac. Or. 18: facundia politiorem fieri, Val. Max. 2, 2, 2: homo politioris humanitatis expers, Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72.
    Sup.: vir omni liberali doctrinā politissimus, Cic. Fam. 13, 1, 5.
    Hence, adv.: pŏlītē, in a polished manner, exquisitely, elegantly: polite subtiliterque effici, Cic. Ac. 2, 38, 120: polite apteque dicere, id. Fin. 4, 3, 5: ornate politeque dicere, id. Cael. 3, 8: scribere, id. Brut. 19, 76.
    Comp.: politius perfectiusque proferre aliquid, Cic. de Or. 1, 2, 5: politius limare, id. Ac. 1, 1, 2.

† pŏlĭon or -ĭum, ĭi, n., = πόλιον, a strong-smelling plant, perh. the poley-germander: Teucrium polium, Linn.; Plin. 21, 7, 21, § 44; 21, 20, 84, § 145; Scrib. Comp. 83.

† 1. pŏlus, i, m., = πόλος.

  1. I. Lit., the end of an axis, a pole (poet. and postAug.): terra a verticibus duobus, quos appellaverunt polos, centrum caeli est, nec non Signiferi oblique inter eos siti, Plin. 2, 15, 13, § 63; 2, 70, 71, § 179; Ov. M. 2, 75; id. P. 2, 7, 64: polus glacialis, the north pole, id. M. 2, 173; or, gelidus, id. H. 18, 152; also absol., the north pole, id. Tr. 4, 3, 15: polus australis, id. M. 2, 131; or, austrinus, the south pole, Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 56.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. The polar star, Vitr. 9, 6 fin.
    2. B. The heavens, Att. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 14 (Trag. Rel. p. 190 Rib.); Verg. A. 3, 586; 5, 721; Hor. C. 1, 28, 6; 3, 29, 44; id. Epod. 17, 77; Val. Fl. 1, 622: immensi parva figura poli, Ov. F. 6, 278.

2. Pŏlus, i, m., a celebrated Greek tragic actor, Gell. 7, 5, 2.