crēber, bra, brum (sup. creberrimus; but crebrissimus, Gell. 2, 30, 2; cf. Rudd. I. p. 170; and CEREBERRIMVS, Inscr. Orell. 68), adj. [from cre-, root of cresco, Corn. Beitr. p. 356], that exists or takes place in a continuous multitude, following closely together or one after another (hence with continuus, Quint. 12, 10, 46; opp. rarus).
I Thick, close, pressed together, frequent, numerous, repeated (very freq., and class.).
A Of material subjects: lucus avius, Crebro salicto oppletus, Plaut. Aul. 4, 6, 9; cf. silva, Lucr. 6, 135: crebris arboribus succisis omnes introitus erant praeclusi, Caes. B. G. 5, 9: rami, id. ib. 2, 17: (venae et arteriae) crebrae multaeque, toto corpore intextae, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138: funale, numerous torches , id. Sen. 13, 44: castella, Caes. B. G. 2, 30: creberrima aedificia, id. ib. 5, 12: ignes quam creberrimi, Sall. J. 106, 4; cf. id. ib. 98, 6: vigilias ponere, id. ib. 45, 2: tanto crebriores litterae nuntiique, Caes. B. G. 5, 45; cf. exploratores, id. ib. 6, 10: tam crebri ad terram decidebant quam pira, as thick as pears , Plaut. Poen. 2, 38; cf. hostes, id. Am. 1, 1, 84: crebri cecidere caelo lapides, Liv. 1, 31, 2; cf. sup. , id. 28, 37, 7 et saep.—
B Of immaterial subjects: itiones, Ter. Phorm. 1012; cf. excursiones, Nep. Milt. 2, 1: ictus, Lucr. 4, 935; Hor. C. 1, 25, 2; Suet. Calig. 30: impetus, Lucr. 1, 294; Sall. J. 50, 1 al.: anhelitus, Quint. 11, 3, 55; Verg. A. 5, 199: commutationes aestuum, Caes. B. G. 5, 1: rumores, id. ib. 2, 1: amplexus, Ov. M. 9, 538 al.: compellationes, Cic. Fam. 12, 25, 2: sonus, oft repeated , Plin. 10, 29, 43, § 81: argumentatio, Quint. 2, 5, 8: supplosio pedis, id. 11, 3, 128: crebriores figurae, id. 9, 2, 94: quae apud Sallustium rare fuerunt, apud hunc crebra sunt et paene continua, Sen. Ep. 114, 18: crebra lumina (dicendi) et continua, Quint. 12, 10, 46.—
II Meton., of an object that is furnished with abundance, or produces something in multitudes, crowded with, abundant, abounding in : creber harundinibus lucus, Ov. M. 11, 190: Africus procellis, Verg. A. 1, 85: Tiberis creber ac subitus incrementis, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 55.—Esp., of speech or writing: sane in eo creber fuisti, Te noluisse, etc., you frequently said , Cic. Planc. 34, 83: si mihi tantum esset otii, quantum est tibi ... in scribendo multo essem crebrior quam tu, id. Att. 1, 19, 1: (Thucydides) ita creber est rerum frequentia, ut, etc., id. de Or. 2, 13, 56; id. Brut. 7, 29: quis sententiis aut acutior aut crebrior? id. ap. Suet. Caes. 55; Quint. 10, 1, 102 (cf.: densus sententiis, id. ib. § 68).—In Gr. constr., of the person: densis ictibus heros Creber utrāque manu pulsat versatque Dareta, Verg. A. 5, 460: modus (dicendi) translationibus crebrior, Quint. 12, 10, 60.—Hence, advv. ,
1 Most freq. in the form crēbrō , close one after another (in time or number), repeatedly, often, oftentimes, frequently, many times : si crebro cades, Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 105: ruri esse, Ter. Hec. 215: mittere litteras, Cic. Att. 6, 5, 1: tussire et exspuere, Quint. 11, 5, 56: personare purgatam aurem, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 7 et saep.: qui crebro Catulum, saepe me, saepissime rem publicam nominabat, Cic. Cael. 24, 59.— Comp. crebrius: perlucet villa crebrius quam cribrum, i. e. with more holes, openings , Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 14: mittas litteras, Cic. Fam. 5, 6, 3 fin. : crebrius aut perfidiosius rebellantes, Suet. Aug. 21.— Sup. creberrime (creberru-): commemorantur a Stoicis, Cic. Div. 1, 27, 56.—
2 crē-bră ( acc. plur.; cf. Rudd. II. p. 159), repeatedly : revisit ad stabulum (mater), Lucr. 2, 359: et pede terram Crebra ferit (equus), Verg. G. 3, 500.—
3 crēbrē , closely, compactly (of place; only in Vitr.): fundamenta aedificiorum palationibus crebre fixa, Vitr. 2, 9, 10.— Sup. : crates ex virgis creberrime textae, Vitr. 10, 14, 3.—*
4 crē-brĭter , repeatedly, frequently (in time), Vitr. 10, 13, 7; cf. Hand, Turs. II. p. 133 sq.