ăcervus, i, m. [v. 2. acer], a multitude of objects of the same kind, rising in a heap.
I Prop.
A A heap considered as a body: frumenti, Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 55; cf. id. Cas. 1, 1, 38; Att. ap. Non. 192, 3: altus, Lucr. 3, 198; 1, 775: ut acervus ex sui generis granis, sic beata vita ex sui similibus partibus effici debeat, Cic. Tusc. 5, 15: acervi corporum, id. Cat. 3, 10: pecuniae, id. Agr. 2, 22: tritici, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 29: farris, Verg. G. 1, 185; thus Ovid calls Chaos: caecus acervus, M. 1, 24.—
B A heap considered as a multitude (cf. Germ. Haufen and Eng. colloq. heap ): aeris et auri, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 47.—
II Fig.
A In gen., a multitude : facinorum, Cic. Sull. 27: officiorum negotiorumque, Plin. 36, 5, 4, § 27: praeceptorum, Ov. Rem. Am. 424 al.—
B Esp., in dialectics, t. t., a sophism formed by accumulation , Gr. σωρείτης, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 16, 49; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 47; cf. acervalis.