multus (old form moltus), a, um; comp. plus; sup. plurimus (v. at the end of this art.), adj. [etym. dub.], much, great, many, of things corporeal and incorporeal.
I Posit.
A In gen.: multi mortales, Cato ap. Gell. 10, 3, 17: multi suam rem bene gessere: multi qui, etc., Enn. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 6, 1 (Trag. v. 295 sq. Vahl.): multi fortissimi viri, Cic. Fam. 5, 17, 3: rationes, id. de Or. 1, 51, 222. tam multis verbis scribere, at such length , id. Fam. 3, 8, 1: beneficia. Cato ap. Fest. s. v. ratissima, p. 286 Müll.: multi alii, Ter. And. 931.—When used with another adjective it is usually connected with it by a conjunction: multae et magnae contentiones, many great conlests , Cic. Phil. 2, 3, 7; 3, 10, 26: O multas et graves offensiones, id. Att. 11, 7, 3: multi et graves dolores, id. Verr. 2, 5, 45, § 119: multi et varii timores, Liv. 3, 16, 3: multae bonaeque artes animi, Sall. J. 28, 5: multa et clara facinora, Tac. A. 12, 31.—But when the second adjective is used substantively the conjunction is omitted: multi improbi, Cic. Off. 2, 8, 28; 2, 19, 65: multi boni, docti, prudentes, id. Fl. 4, 8: multi nobiles, id. Planc. 20, 50: multa acerba habuit ille annus, id. Sest. 27, 58; 66, 139: multa infanda, Liv. 28, 12, 5: multa falsa, id. 35, 23, 2.—Also, when the second adjective forms with its substantive a single conception: multa secunda proelia, victories , Liv. 9, 42, 5; 35, 1, 3; 41, 17, 1: multa libera capita, freemen , id. 42, 41, 11: multae liberae civitates, republics , Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 30, § 68: multos fortes viros, id. Cat. 3, 2, 7; id. Mur. 8, 17: multi clari viri, noblemen , id. Leg. 1, 5, 17: multi primarii viri, id. Verr. 2, 2, 61, § 149.—Similarly, et is omitted between multi and adjectives which form with their substantives familiar phrases: multi clarissimi viri, Cic. Phil. 11, 10, 24: multi amplissimi viri, id. Fin. 2, 17, 55; id. Deiot. 14, 39; id. Fam. 10, 25, 2; id. Att. 10, 8, 7; 16, 16, 11; id. Verr. 1, 7, 19: multi honestissimi homines, id. Fam. 15, 15, 3: multi peritissimi homines, id. Caecin. 24, 69: multi summi homines, id. Arch. 12, 30; id. Har. Resp. 26, 56: multi clarissimi et sapientissimi viri, id. Planc. 4, 11; id. Cael. 18, 43.—Et is also omitted when the substantive stands between the two adjectives: in veteribus patronis multis, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 1, 2: multa praeterea bella gravia, id. Agr. 2, 33, 90: multis suppliciis justis, id. Cat. 1, 8, 20: multa majores nostri magna et gravia bella gesserunt, id. Imp. Pomp. 2, 6: plurima signa pulcherrima, id. Verr. 2, 1, 23, § 61.—When both adjectives follow the substantive, et is sometimes inserted: virtutes animi multae et magnae, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 22, 64: causas ille multas et graves habuit, id. Clu. 30, 82; and is sometimes omitted, the emphasis then falling on the second adjective: utebatur hominibus improbis, multis, id. Cael. 5, 12: prodigia multa, foeda, Liv. 40, 29, 1.—With a partitive gen.: multi hominum, Plin. 16, 25, 40, § 96: multae silvestrium arborum, id. 16, 31, 56, § 128.—In neutr. plur. : multa , ōrum, many things, much : nimium multa, Cic. Fam. 4, 14, 3: nimis multa, id. Fin. 2, 18, 57: insulae non ita multae, not so many, not so very many , Plin. 5, 7, 7, § 41: parum multa scire, too few , Auct. Her. 1, 1, 1: bene multi, a good many , Asin. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 33, 4: quam minime multa vestigia servitutis, as few as possible , Nep. Tim. 3, 3: minime multi remiges, exceedingly few , Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 34, § 88: in multas pecunias alienissimorum hominum invasit, id. Phil. 2, 16, 41; id. Verr. 2, 5, 19, § 48: multae pecuniae variis ex causis a privatis detinentur, Plin. Ep. 10, 17, 3.—Sometimes multi stands for multi alii, many others : nam certe Pompeio, et a Curionibus patre et filio, et a multis exprobratum est, Suet. Caes. 50.—The sing. also is used poet. for the plur., many a : aut trudit acres hinc et hinc multā cane Apros in obstantes plagas, with many dogs , Hor. Epod. 2, 31: multa prece prosequi, id. C. 4, 5, 33: multā victima, Verg. E. 1, 34: agna. Ov. F. 4, 772: avis, id. Am. 3, 5, 4: tabella, Tib. 1, 3, 28; so of persons: multus sua vulnera puppi Affixit moriens, many a one , for multi affixerunt, Luc. 3, 707.—In sing., to denote quantity, much, great, abundant : multum aurum et argentum. Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 8; 22: exstructa mensa multā carne rancidā, Cic. Pis. 27, 67: multo labore quaerere aliquid, with much labor, great exertion , Cic. Sull. 26, 73: cura, Sall. J. 7, 4: sol, much sun , Plin. 31, 7, 39, § 81: sermo, much conversalion , Brut. ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 20, 1: stilus tuus multi sudoris est. Cic. de Or. 1, 60, 257: multo cibo et potione completi, id. Tusc. 5, 35, 100: multo sanguine ea Poenis victoria stetit, Liv. 23, 30, 2: multum sanguinem haurire, Curt. 4, 14, 17; 8, 14, 32: multam harenam mare evomit, id. 4, 6, 8: arbor, id. 7, 4, 26: silva, id. 8, 10, 14: multae vestis injectu opprimi, Tac. A. 6, 50: multa et lauta supellex, Cic. Phil. 2, 27, 66: aurum, Sall. J. 13, 6; Tac. A. 6, 33; Liv. 26, 11, 9; Curt. 3, 3, 12: libertas, Hor. S. 1, 4, 5: multam salutem dicere alicui, to greet heartily , Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 194: cum auro et argento multo, Sall. J. 13, 6.—Of time: Itaque multum diei processerat, a great part of the day , Sall. J. 51, 2: ad multum diem, till far in the day , Cic. Att. 13, 9, 1: multo adhuc die, when much of the day was still remaining, when it was still high day , Tac. H. 2, 44: multo denique die, when the day was far spent , Caes. B. G. 1, 22: multā nocte, late at night , Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 9, 2: multo mane, very early , id. Att. 5, 4, 1: multa opinio, for multorum, the general opinion , Gell. 3, 16, 1: velut multā pace, as in a general peace, as if there were peace everywhere , Tac. H. 4, 35: multus homo, one who gives himself up to the lusts of many , Cat. 112, 1.
III — multi , ōrum, m., the many, the common mass, the multitude : probis probatus potius, quam multis forem, Att. ap. Non. 519, 9: video ego te, mulier, more multarum utier, id. ib.—Esp.: unus e (or de) multis, one of the multitude, a man of no distinction : tenuis L. Virginius unusque e multis, Cic. Fin. 2, 20, 62: unus de multis esse, id. Off. 1, 30, 109: M. Calidius non fuit orator unus e multis; potius inter multos prope singularis fuit, id. Brut. 79, 274: numerarer in multis, among the herd of orators , id. ib. 97, 333: e multis una sit tibi, no better than others , Ov. R. Am. 682: multum est, it is of importance , Verg. G. 2, 272.—In neutr. absol. : ne multa, or ne multis, not to be prolix, in short : ne multa: perquiritur a coactoribus, Cic. Clu. 64, 181: ne multis: Diogenes emitur, id. ib. 16, 47: quid multis moror? Ter. And. 114.—Sometimes multa is used (particularly by the poets) adverbially, much, greatly, very : multa reluctari, Verg. G. 4, 301: gemens, id. ib. 3, 226; id. A. 5, 869: deos testatus, id. ib. 7, 593: invehi, Nep. Ep. 6, 1 (cf. nonnulla invehi, id. Tim. 5, 3): haud multa moratus, Verg. A. 3, 610.—Rarely in multum: in multum velociores, by far , Plin. 10, 36, 52, § 108.—
B In partic.
1 Too much, overmuch, excessive : supellex modica, non multa, Nep. Att. 13, 5.—
2 In speech, much-speaking, diffuse, prolix : qui in aliquo genere aut inconcinnus aut multus est, Cic. de Or. 2, 4, 17: ne in re notā et pervulgatā multus et insolens sim, id. ib. 2, 87, 358: nolo in stellarum ratione multus vobis videri, id. N. D. 2, 46, 119.—
3 Frequent, frequently present : in operibus, in agmine, atque ad vigilias multus adesse, Sall. J. 96, 3: multus in eo proelio Caesar fuit, was in many places , Flor. 4, 2, 50: hen hercle hominem multum et odiosum mihi! troublesome, tedious , Plaut. Men. 2, 2, 41: instare, Sall. J. 84, 1.—Hence, adv., in two forms.
A multum , much, very much, greatly, very, often, frequently, far , etc. (class.): salve multum, gnate mi, Plaut. Trin. 5, 2, 56: multum vale, farewell , id. Stich. 3, 2, 40: hominem ineptum multum et odiosum mihi, id. Men. 2, 2, 42: opinor, Cassium uti non ita multum sorore, not very much , Cic. Fam. 7, 23, 3: multum mecum municipales homines loquuntur, often , id. Att. 8, 13, 2: non multum ille quidem nec saepe dicebat, id. Brut. 34, 128: non multum confidere, not very much, not particularly , Caes. B. G. 3, 25: sunt in venationibus, often, frequently , id. ib. 4, 1: in eodem genere causarum multum erat T. Juventius, Cic. Brut. 48, 178: multum fuisse cum aliquo, to have had much intercourse with , id. Rep. 1, 10, 16: sum multum equidem cum Phaedro in Epicuri hortis, id. Fin. 5, 1, 3: gratiā valere, to be in great favor , Nep. Con. 2, 1: res multum et saepe quaesita, Cic. Leg. 3, 15, 33: longe omnes multumque superabit, id. Verr. 2, 5, 44, § 115: multum et diu cogitans, id. Div. 2, 1, 1: diu multumque scriptitare, id. de Or. 1, 33, 152.—With an adj.: multum loquaces, very talkative , Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 5: mepti labores, very , Plin. Ep. 1, 9.—Poet. also with comp. : multum improbiores sunt quam a primo credidi, much, far , Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 139: multum robustior illo, Juv. 19, 197: majora, Sil. 13, 708.— So with infra, post: haud multum infra viam, Liv. 5, 37, 7; Plin. 98, 7, § 20: haud multum post mortem ejus, Tac. A. 5, 3: ut multum, at most , Mart. 10, 11, 6; Vop. Aur. 46.—
B multō by much, much, a great deal, far, by far (class.).
1 With comparatives and verbs which imply comparison: multo tanto carior, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 76: pauciores oratores, Cic. de Or. 1, 3, 11: facilius atque expeditius iter, Caes. B. G. 1, 6.—With verbs : virtutem omnibus rebus multo anteponentes, Cic. Fin. 4, 18, 49: multo ceteros anteibant, Tac. H. 4, 13: multo praestat beneficii, quam maleficii immemorem esse, Sall. J. 31, 28.—With malle: multo mavolo, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 88; id. Ps. 2, 4, 38: meo judicio multo stare malo, quam, etc., Cic. Att. 12, 21, 1.—
2 With sup. (rare but class.), by far, by much : quae tibi mulier videtur multo sapientissuma, Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 66; id. Am. 2, 2, 150: multo optimus hostis, by far , Lucil. ap. Non. 4, 413: simulacrum multo antiquissimum, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 49, § 109; 2, 4, 23, § 50; id. Cat. 4, 8, 17: maxima pars, id. Imp. Pomp. 18, 54; cf. Hor. S. 2, 3, 82: multo id bellum maximum fuit, Liv. 1, 11, 5: pars multo maxima, id. 30, 18, 14: multo molestissima, Cic. Div. in. Caecil. 11, 36: multo gratissima lux, Hor. S. 1, 5, 39: foedissimum, Quint. 9, 4, 72: optimum, id. ib. 26: pulcherrimum, id. 1, 2, 24: utilissima, id. 2, 10, 1: maxime, Auct. Her. 4, 44, 58: multo maxime miserabile, Sall. C. 36, 4: multo maxime ingenio validus, id. J. 6, 1.—
3 With particles denoting a difference, far, greatly, very : multo aliter, Ter. And. 4: multo aliter ac sperabat, far otherwise than , Nep. Ham. 2: quod non multo secus fieret, si, not far otherwise, not very different , Cic. Fam. 4, 9, 1: multo infra Cyrenaicum. Plin. 19, 3, 15, § 40. —
4 In specifications of time, before ante and post, long, much : non multo ante urbem captam, Cic. Div. 1, 45, 101: non multo ante, not long before , Nep. Eum. 3, 3: multo ante, Cic. Fam. 4, 1, 1: non multo post, quam, etc., not long after , id. Att. 12, 49, 9: haud multo ante solis occasum, Liv. 5, 39, 2: multo ante noctem, id. 27, 42, 13.—
5 Very rarely with the positive for multum: maligna multo, very , Ter. Hec. 158 Umpf.—
6 Doubled, multo multoque, with comparatives: multo multoque longior, far, very much , Front. ad M. Caes. 2, 5: multo multoque operosius est, Val. Max. 4, 1, 2: multo multoque magis, Front. Laud. Negl. § 3.
II Comp. : plūs , plūris; in the plur., plūres, plūra (in sing. anciently written plous; three times in the S. C. de Bacch. Here perh. belongs, in the plur., pleores and pleoris, for plures, in the Song of the Arval Brothers.—For the class. neuter of the plur., plura, the form pluria was used in ante-class. Latinity. Gellius cites M. Cato, Q. Claudius, Valerius Antias, L. Aelius, P. Nigidius, and M. Varro as authorities for this form, Gell. 5, 21, 6; yet Plautus and Terence have only plura; and the earlier reading pluria, in Lucr. 1, 877; 2, 1135; 4, 1085, is now supplanted by the critically certain plura and plurima.—The gen. plur. plurium, however, has remained the predominant form, e. g. Quint. 7, 1, 1; 8, 4, 27; 9, 4, 66 et saep.) [from the root ple; Gr. πλέον, πίμπλημι; cf. plenus, plera, compleo, etc.; also locu-ples, plebes, populus, etc.], more.
A In the sing. (used both substantively and adverbially): LIBRAS FARRIS ENDO DIES DATO. SI VOLET PLVS DATO, Fragm. XII. Tab. in Gell. 20, 1, 45: SI PLVS MINVSVE SECVERVNT, SE FRAVDE ESTO, ib.; so (perh. in imitation of this legal phrase): eheu, cur ego plus minusve feci quam aequom fuit! Plaut. Capt. 5, 3, 18; Ter. Phorm. 554: ne plus minusve loqueretur, Suet. Aug. 84; cf. Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 27; and in the signif. of circiter, about : septingenti sunt paulo plus aut minus anni ... postquam, etc., Enn. ap. Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 2 (Ann. v. 493 Vahl.); so, non longius abesse plus minus octo milibus, Hirt. B. G. 8, 20, 1 Oud.; cf.: speranti plures ... venerunt plusve minusve duae, Mart. 8, 71, 4: aut ne quid faciam plus, quod post me minus fecisse satius sit, too much ... too little , Ter. Hec. 730: tantum et plus etiam ipse mihi deberet, Cic. Att. 7, 3, 7: vos et decem numero, et, quod plus est, Romani estis, and what is more , Liv. 9, 24, 8: verbane plus an sententia valere debeat, Cic. Top. 25, 96: cf.: apud me argumenta plus quam testes valent, id. Rep. 1, 38, 59: valet enim salus plus quam libido, id. ib. 1, 40, 63.—
β With a partitive gen.: vultis pecuniae plus habere, Cic. Inv. 1, 47, 88; cf.: nostri casus plus honoris habuerunt quam laboris, id. Rep. 1, 4, 7; so, plus virium, id. Leg. 1, 2, 6: plus hostium, Liv. 2, 42: plus dapis et rixae multo minus invidiaeque, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 51: in hac causā eo plus auctoritatis habent, quia, etc., Cic. Rep. 3, 16, 26; cf.: plus ingenii, id. ib. 1, 14, 22: Albano non plus animi erat quam fidei, as little courage as fidelity , Liv. 1, 27, 5.—
γ With quam (some examples of which have already been given above): non plus quam semel, Cic. Off. 3, 15, 61: confiteor eos ... plus quam sicarios esse, id. Phil. 2, 13, 31: ne plus reddat quam acceperit, id. Lael. 16, 58 et saep.: non plus quam in tres partis posse distribui putaverunt, into not more than , id. Inv. 1, 34, 57: plus quam decem dies abesse, id. Phil. 2, 13, 31: nulla (navis) plus quam triginta remis agatur, with more than , Liv. 38, 38, 8.—
δ Without quam : HOMINES PLOVS V. OINVORSEI VIREI ATQVE MVLIERES, S. C. de Bacch. 19 (Wordsw. Fragm. and Spec. p. 173): plus mille capti, Liv. 24, 44: plus milies audivi, Ter. Eun. 422: plus semel, Varr. ap. Plin. 14, 14, 17, § 96: plus quingentos colaphos infregit mihi, Ter. Ad. 200: ferre plus dimidiati mensis cibaria, Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 37: non plus mille quingentos aeris, id. Rep. 2, 22, 40: paulo plus ducentos passus a castris, Liv. 31, 34: cum plus annum aeger fuisset, id. 40, 2: parte plus dimidiā rem auctam, id. 29, 25.—
ε With a compar. or adverbial abl., or with an abl. of measure: VIREI PLOVS DVOBVS, S. C. de Bacch. 20 (Wordsw. Fragm. and Spec. p. 173): de paupertate tacentes Plus poscente ferent, more than the importunate , Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 44: ex his alius alio plus habet virium, Cic. Leg. 1, 2, 6: cave putes hoc tempore plus me quemquam cruciari, Balb. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 15, A, 2: alterum certe non potest, ut plus una vera sit, Cic. N. D. 1, 2, 5; cf.: in columbā plures videri colores, nec esse plus uno, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 25, 79: HOC PLVS NE FACITO, more than this , Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Leg. 2, 23, 59: annos sexaginta natus es Aut plus eo, or more than that , Ter. Heaut. 63: plus aequo, Cic. Lael. 16, 58: plus paulo, Ter. Heaut. 220: paulo plus, Liv. 31, 34: multo plus, Anton. ap. Cic. Att. 10, 8, A, 1: plus nimio, overmuch , Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 30: quam molestum est uno digito plus habere, too much by a finger , i. e. a finger too much , Cic. N. D. 1, 35, 99: uno plus Etruscorum cecidisse in acie, one man more , Liv. 2, 7, 2.—
2 In the gen. pretii , pluris, of more value, of a higher price, for more, higher, dearer : ut plus reddant musti et olei, et pretii pluris, of greater value , Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 4: ager multo pluris est, is worth much more , Cic. Rosc. Com. 12, 33; cf.: quo pluris sint nostra oliveta, id. Rep. 3, 9, 16: pluris emere, dearer , id. Fam. 7, 2, 1; so, vendere, id. Off. 3, 12, 51; id. Verr. 2, 3, 19, § 48; Hor. S. 2, 3, 300: aedificare, Col. 1, 4, 7: pluris est oculatus testis quam auriti decem, of more value , Plaut. Truc. 2, 6, 8: mea mihi conscientia pluris est, quam omnium sermo, Cic. Att. 12, 28, 2: facio pluris omnium hominem neminem, id. ib. 8, 2, 4: facere aliquem pluris, make more of one, esteem him more highly , id. Fam. 3, 4, 2: pluris habere, id. Phil. 6, 4, 10: aestimare, id. Par. 6, 2, 48: ducere, id. Att. 7, 3, 5: putare, id. Off. 3, 4, 18 et saep.—
3 Rarely, instead of the genitive, in the abl. pretii : plure vendunt, Lucil. ap. Charis. 2, p. 189 P.: plure altero tanto, quanto ejus fundus est, velim, Plaut. ib.: plure venit, Cic. ib.—
4 Plus plusque, more and more : quem mehercule plus plusque in dies diligo. Cic. Att. 6, 2, 10.—*
5 Like magis, with an adj.: plus formosus, for formosior, Nemes. Ecl. 4, 72.—
B In the plur.
1 Comparatively, more in number: omnes qui aere alieno premantur, quos plures esse intellego quam putāram, Cic. Att. 7, 3, 5; id. Rep. 2, 22, 40: nemini ego plura acerba esse credo ex amore homini umquam oblata quam mihi, Ter. Hec. 281: ne plura insignia essent imperii in libero populo quam in regno fuissent, Cic. Rep. 2, 31, 55: multo plura, many more things , Quint. 3, 6, 28.—
2 In gen., of a great number, many : qui plus fore dicant in pluribus consilii quam in uno. Cic. Rep. 1, 35, 55: cf.: quid quaeso interest inter unum et plures, si justitia est in pluribus? id. ib. 1, 39, 61; 1, 34, 52: non possunt unā in civitate multi rem ac fortunas amittere, ut non plures secum in eandem trahant calamitatem, id. Imp. Pomp. 7, 19: quod pluribus praesentibus eas res jactari nolebat, Caes. B. G. 1, 18: plura castella Pompeius tentaverat, id. B. C. 3, 52: summus dolor plures dies manere non potest, Cic. Fin. 2, 28, 93: pluribus diebus, Quint. prooem. § 7: illic plurium rerum est congeries, id. 8, 4, 27: quae consuetudo sit, pluribus verbis docere, Cic. Clu. 41, 115: eum pluribus verbis rogat, ut, etc., id. Verr. 2, 4, 28, § 64; without verba: quid ego plura dicam? id. de Or. 1, 5, 18: pluribus haec exsecutus sum, Phaedr. 3, 10, 59; also elliptically, quid plura? and, ne plura, like quid multa? and ne multa: hic sacra, hic genus, hic majorum multa vestigia. Quid plura? hanc vides villam, etc., what need of many words? in short , Cic. Leg. 2, 1, 3: sed—ne plura—dicendum enim aliquando est—Pomponium Atticum sic amo, ut alterum fratrem, id. Fam. 13, 1, 5.—
b Esp.: plures.
α The mass, the multitude , opp. pauciores, = οἱ ὀλίγοι, Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 13.—
β Euphemistically, acc. to the Gr. οἱ πλείονες, the dead : quin prius Me ad plures penetravi? Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 14.—
γ The greater number, the majority : plures nesciebant quā ex causā convenissent, Vulg. Act. 19, 32.
III Sup. : plūrĭmus (archaic form, plisima plurima, Paul. ex Fest. p. 204 and 205 Müll.: PLIOIRVME (I), Epit. of Scipio), a, um [from root ple; whence also plus, q. v., ploirumus for ploisumus; and thence the predominant form plurimus], most, very much , or many (as an adj. in good prose mostly in the plur., except the standing formula of greeting: salutem plurimam dicere alicui; v. infra): hujus sunt plurima simulacra, Caes. B. G. 6, 17: nos plurimis ignotissimi gentibus, Cic. Rep. 1, 17, 26: plurimae et maximae partes, id. ib. 1, 4, 8: plurimorum seculorum memoria, id. ib. 3, 9, 14: haec plurimis a me verbis dicta sunt, id. ib. 1, 7, 12 et saep.—In sing.: me plurimā praedā onustum, Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 4: sermo, Quint. 2, 2, 5: risus, id. 6, 3, 85: res, id. 6, 1, 51: exercitatio, id. 8 prooem. § 28: mons, very large , Verg. A. 1, 419: cervix, id. G. 3, 52: Aetna, Ov. Ib. 600.—Of a greeting: impertit salutem plurimam, Lucil. ap. Non. 472. 16; and esp. freq.: salutem plurimam dicit (commonly abbrev. S. P. D.) at the beginning of letters; v. salus.— Poet.: medio cum plurimus orbe Sol erat, very powerful, oppressive , Ov. M. 14, 53: plurima quā silva est. thickest , id. ib. 14, 361: coma plurima, very thick , id. ib. 13, 844: sed plurima nantis in ore Alcyone conjux, mostly, chiefly , id. ib. 11, 562.—And collect.: plurimus in Junonis honorem Aptum dicet equis Argos, many a one, very many , Hor. C. 1, 7, 8; so, oleaster plurimus, Verg. G. 2, 183: quā plurima mittitur ales, Mart. 9, 56, 1: plurima lecta rosa est, Ov. F. 4, 441.— In neutr. absol. (substant. or adverb.): ut haberet quam plurimum, as much as possible , Cic. Rab. Post. 14, 39: caput autem est, quam plurimum scribere, id. de Or. 1, 33, 150: ut in quoque oratore plurimum esset, id. Rep. 1, 27, 123.—Adv.: plūrĭmum : et is valebat in suffragio plurimum, cujus plurimum intererat, esse in optimo statu civitatem, Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 40: auspiciis plurimum obsecutus est Romulus, id. ib. 2, 9, 16: si vero populus plurimum potest, id. ib. 3, 14, 23; cf.: qui apud me dignitate plurimum possunt, id. Rosc. Am. 1, 4: plurimum aliis praestare, id. Inv. 2, 1, 1: ut te plurimum diligam, id. Fam. 1, 7, 1; id. Tusc. 5, 27, 78: hoc ego utor uno omnium plurimum, id. Fam. 11, 16, 2: quantum (al. quanto) plurimum possunt, Quint. 11, 3, 120: plurimum quantum also signifies very much indeed, exceedingly (post-class.): plurimum quantum veritati nocuere, Min. Fel. Oct. 22: gratulor, id. ib. 40: (elleborum) ex aquā datur plurimum drachma, at the most , Plin. 25, 5, 22, § 54; 9, 36, 60, § 125; 30, 6, 16, § 48; so, cum plurimum, id. 2, 17, 15, § 78 (opp. to cum minimum); 18, 7, 10, § 60: nec tam numerosa differentia; tribus ut plurimum bonitatibus distat, for the most part, commonly, usually , = plerumque, Plin. 15, 3, 4, § 18.—
β In neutr. with a partit. gen.: sententiarum et gravitatis plurimum, Cic. Inv. 1, 18, 25: artis, Quint. 10, 5, 3: auctoritatis et ponderis, id. 9, 4, 91: ut laboris sic utilitatis etiam longe plurimum, id. 10, 3, 1: virtutum, id. 12, 1, 20 plurimum quantum favoris partibus dabat fratermtas ducum, Flor. 4, 2, 74.—
γ In the gen. pretii : plurimi: immo unice unum plurimi pendit, values very highly, esteems very much , Plaut. Bacch. 2, 2, 29: quem unum Alexander plurimi fecerat, Nep. Eum. 2, 2: ut quisque quod plurimi est possidet, Cic. Par. 6, 2, 48.