aculeus
πολλὰ τὰ δεινὰ κοὐδὲν ἀνθρώπου δεινότερον πέλει → many things are formidable, and none more formidable than man | wonders are many, and none is more wonderful than man | many things are bad, but nothing is more atrocious than man
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
ăcūlĕus: i, m. acc. to Prisc. 618 P.
dim. from 1. acus, with the gender changed, like diecula fr. dies, cf. Val. Prob. 1463 P.,
I a sting.
I Lit.
A Of animals: apis aculeum sine clamore ferre non possumus, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22; so Plin. 11, 17, 17: neparum, Cic. Fin. 5, 15 al.—Also, the spur of fowls, Col. 8, 2, 8: locustarum, Vulg. Apoc. 9, 10.—
B Of plants, a spine or prickle: spinarum, Plin. 13, 9, 19: carduorum, id. 20, 23, 99.—
C Of an arrow or dart, the point, Liv. 38, 21, 11.—
II Fig., a sting.
A Of a sharp, cutting remark: pungunt quasi aculeis interrogatiunculis, Cic. Fin. 4, 3; so id. Ac. 2, 31; id. Planc. 24 al.; Liv. 23, 42, 5.—
B Of harsh treatment: aculeos severitatis judicum evellere, Cic. Clu. 55 fin.; so id. Cael. 12, 29.—
C Of painful thought or care: meum ille pectus pungit aculeus, quid illi negoti fuerit ante aedīs meas, Plant. Trin. 4, 2, 158: domesticarum sollicitudinum, Cic. Att. 1, 18.
Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)
ăcŭlĕus,¹² ī, m. (acus), aiguillon :
1 apis Cic. Tusc. 2, 52, dard de l’abeille ; [fig.] aculeo emisso Cic. Fl. 41, après avoir laissé son aiguillon (dans la plaie), cf. Liv. 23, 42, 5 ; Curt. 4, 14, 13 || pointe d’un trait : Liv. 38, 21, 10
2 [métaph., surtout au pl.] : a) aculei orationis Cic. Sulla 47, aiguillons de la parole [mots capables de percer, de blesser] ; [en parlant d’outrages] Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 95 ; [de reproches] Planc. 58 ; [de railleries] Cic. Q. 2, 1, 1 ; b) stimulant : ad animos stimulandos aliquem aculeum habent Liv. 45, 37, 11, [ces paroles] ont du mordant pour exciter les esprits, cf. Cic. Or. 62 ; de Or. 2, 64 ; in mentibus quasi aculeos quosdam relinquere Cic. de Or. 3, 138, laisser comme une sorte d’aiguillon enfoncé dans l’âme de l’auditeur [faire une impression profonde], cf. Br. 38 ; c) pointes, finesses, subtilités : Cic. Ac. 2, 98 ; Fin. 4, 7.
Latin > German (Georges)
aculeus, ī, m. (Demin. v. acus), der Stachel, I) eig.: a) von Metall, der Stift, tabulam aculeis configere, Col. – od. die Spitze eines Wurfgeschosses, sagittae aut glandis, Liv. – b) der Tiere, apis, Cic.: hystricis, Plin.: aculei calcis, Sporen der Hühner, Col. – c) der Pflanzen, spinarum, carduorum, Plin. – II) übtr., bes. im Plur.: 1) das Stechende, Verletzende, Herzverwundende, bes. a) von scharfem Verfahren und beißender, verletzender Rede, aculeos severitatis emittere (gleichs. herausstrecken), Cic. – aculei orationis, contumeliarum, Cic.: fuerunt nonnulli aculei in C. Caesarem, Sticheleien gegen usw., Cic. ep. – b) v. Kummer u. Sorge, sollicitudinum aculei, Cic. – 2) das Aufregende, Antreibende (wie stimulus), der Sporn, Stachel, haec ad militum animos stimulandos aliquem aculeum habent, Liv.: auditorum intentio nullis extrinsecus aut blandimentis capta aut aculeis excitata, Plin. ep. – 3) der tiefe Eindruck, den der Redner od. die Rede beim Zuhörer zurückläßt, relinquere vero aculeum in audientium animis is demum potest, qui non pungit, sed infigit, Plin. ep.: orator cum delectatione aculeos relinquit in animis eorum, a quibus est auditus, Cic.: tamen horum (philosophorum) oratio neque nervos neque aculeos oratorios aut forenses habet, Cic.