artĭcŭlus, i, m. dim. [2. artus],
I a small member connecting various parts of the body , a joint , knot , knuckle.
I.A Lit.: nodi corporum, qui vocantur articuli, Plin. 11, 37, 88, § 217: hominis digiti articulos habent ternos, pollex binos, id. 11, 43, 99, § 244: summus caudae articulus, id. 8, 41, 63, § 153 al.: crura sine nodis articulisque, Caes. B. G. 6, 27: ipso in articulo, quo jungitur capiti cervix, Liv. 27, 49: auxerat articulos macies, i. e. had made more joints , had made the bones visible , Ov. M. 8, 807: articulorum dolores habere, i. e. gouty pains , Cic. Att. 1, 5 fin. ; cf. Cels. 5, 18: postquam illi justa cheragra Contudit articulos, * Hor. S. 2, 7, 16; cf. Pers. 5, 58: gladiatorem vehementis impetus excipit adversarii mollis articulus, Quint. 2, 12, 2.—Hence, molli articulo tractare aliquem, to touch one gently , softly , Quint. 11, 2, 70.—Of plants: ineunte vere in iis (vitibus), quae relicta sunt, exsistit, tamquam ad articulos sarmentorum, ea quae gemma dicitur, Cic. Sen. 15, 53; Plin. 16, 24, 36, § 88: ante quam seges in articulum eat, Col. 2, 11, 9; so Plin. 18, 17, 45, § 159. —Of mountains, a hill connecting several larger mountains : montium articuli, Plin. 37, 13, 77, § 201.—
B With an extension of the idea, a limb , member , in gen. (cf. 2. artus), * Lucr. 3, 697.—Hence also for a finger , Prop. 2, 34, 80; so Ov. H. 10, 140; id. P. 2, 3, 18: quot manus atteruntur, ut unus niteat articulus! Plin. 2, 63, 63, § 158: ab eo missus est articulus manūs, Vulg. Dan. 5, 24: aspiciebat articulos manūs, ib. ib. 5, 5: erexit me super articulos manuum mearum, on the fingers or palms of my hands , ib. ib. 10, 10. —
II Trop.
A Of discourse, a member , part , division : articulus dicitur, cum singula verba intervallis distinguuntur caesā oratione, hoc modo: acrimoniā, voce, vultu adversarios perterruisti, Auct. ad Her. 4, 19: continuatio verborum soluta multo est aptior atque jucundior, si est articulis membrisque (κόμμασι καὶ κώλοις) distincta, quam si continuata ac producta, Cic. de Or. 3, 48, 186: (genus orationis) fluctuans et dissolutum eo quod sine nervis et articulis fluctuat huc et illuc, Auct. ad Her. 4, 11.— Hence, a short clause , Dig. 36, 1, 27; also, a single word , ib. 35, 1, 4: articulus Est praesentis temporis demonstrationem continet, ib. 34, 2, 35: hoc articulo Quisque omnes significantur, ib. 28, 5, 29.—In gram. the pronn. hic and quis, Varr. L. L. 8, § 45 Müll.; the article , Quint. 1, 4, 19.—
B Of time.
1 A point of time , a moment : commoditatis omnes articulos scio, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 31.—With tempus: qui hunc in summas angustias adductum putaret, ut eum suis conditionibus in ipso articulo temporis astringeret, at the most critical moment , Cic. Quinct. 5, 19: in ipsis quos dixi temporum articulis, Plin. 2, 97, 99, § 216: si de singulis articulis temporum deliberabimus, August. ap. Suet. Claud. 4; also without tempus: in ipso articulo, at the fit moment , at the nick of time , Ter. Ad. 229.—With dies: in articulo diei illius ingressus est, on that very day , Vulg. Gen. 7, 13.—And with res: in articulo rerum, Curt. 3, 5; also in articulo, instantly , immediately , = statim, Cod. Just. 1, 33, 3.—Hence with the idea extended,
2 A space , division of time : hi cardines singulis articulis dividuntur, Plin. 18, 25, 59, § 222: octo articuli lunae, id. 18, 35, 79, § 350: articulus austrinus, i. e. in which auster blows , id. 17, 2, 2, § 11.—
C Of other abstract things, part , division , point : per eosdem articulos (i.e. per easdem honorum partes) et gradus producere, August. ap. Suet. Claud. 4: stationes in mediis latitudinum articulis, quae vocant ecliptica, Plin. 2, 15, 13, § 68; Dig. 1, 3, 12: ventum est ergo ad ipsum articulum causae, i. e. ventum ad rei cardinem, the turning-point , Arn. 7, p. 243.