violentus
ἐξ ὀνύχων λέοντα τεκμαίρεσθαι → judge by the claws, judge by a slight but characteristic mark, small traits give the clue to the character of a person, deduce something from a small indication, identify a lion from its claws
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
vĭŏlentus: a, um, adj. vis,
I forcible, violent, vehement, impetuous, boisterous (class.): ubi id rescivit factum frater violentissimus, Ter. Eun. 5, 4, 32: homo vehemens et violentus, Cic. Phil. 5, 7, 19: quamvis sis, ut es, violentus et furens, id. ib. 2, 28, 68: tyrannus saevissimus et violentissimus in suos, Liv. 34, 32, 3: censores, id. 9, 34, 3: ingenium, id. 1, 46, 5; cf.: Piso ingenio violentus, Tac. A. 2, 43: faciē violenta Corinna est, Ov. Am. 2, 17, 7: violentus in armis, id. P. 4, 6, 35: viri vis, Lucr. 5, 964: vis leonum, id. 3, 296: Lucania bellum Incuteret violenta, Hor. S. 2, 1, 39: ventus, Lucr. 5, 1226: turbo, id. 5, 217; 5, 368; 5, 1231: violentior Eurus, Verg. G. 2, 107: violentior amnis, id. ib. 4, 373: violentissimae tempestates, Cic. Clu. 49, 138: violentissimus caeli status, Col. 5, 5, 17: duae res violentissimae, ferrum et ignis, Plin. 37, 4, 15, § 59: opes, Cic. Phil. 1, 12, 29: verba, Ov. M. 3, 717: imperium, Liv. 45, 12, 6: mors infantibus, Sen. Troad. 1172: nimis violentum est, nulla esse dicere, i. e. it is unreasonable, it is going too far, Cic. Fin. 5, 24, 72.—Adv. does not occur.
