neuter, tra, trum (gen. neutri, Varr. L. L. 9, § 62, acc. to the MSS.; cf. §§ 55 and 58; Aus. Ep. 50; and by grammarians always in the phrase neutri generis, of the neuter gender , Charis. 13 P.; Diom. 277 P. al.; Serv. Verg. A. 1, 449; dat. sing. neutrae, acc. to Prisc. p. 678.—Collat. form, NECVTER, Inscr. Orell. 4859), adj. [ne-uter],
I neither the one nor the other, neither of two: ut neutri illorum quisquam esset me carior, Cic. Att. 7, 1, 2: in neutram partem moveri, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 42, 130; id. Off. 2, 6, 20: debemus neutrum eorum contra alium juvare, Caes. B. C. 1, 35, 5: quid bonum sit, quid malum, quid neutrum, Cic. Div. 2, 4, 10; Ov. M. 4, 378: ita fiet ut neutra lingua alteri officiat, Quint. 1, 1, 14.—Repeated: neuter neutri invidet, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 49.—With verb in plur.: ut caveres, neuter ad me iretis cum querimoniā, Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 34: quia neuter consulum potuerant bello abesse, Liv. 9, 44, 2.—
β In plur.: in quo neutrorum contemnenda est sententia, Cic. Off. 1, 21, 70: neutri alteros primo cernebant, Liv. 21, 46, 4: ita neutris cura posteritatis, Tac. H. 1, 1: in neutris partibus esse, Sen. Ira, 2, 23: neutris quicquam hostile facientibus, Just. 6, 7, 1.—
II In partic., in gram.: neutra nomina, of the neuter gender : neutra (nomina or verba), which are neither active nor passive, middle , Cic. Tusc. 4, 12, 28; id. Or. 46, 155; Gell. 1, 7, 15 et saep. —Hence,
A Adv.: ‡ neutrē , neutrally; in neither way : neutre, οὐδετέρως, Gloss. Philox.—
B neutrō , adv., to neither one side nor the other; to neither side, neither way : neutro inclinatā spe, Liv. 5, 26 fin. : neutro inclinaverat fortuna, Tac. H. 3, 23: si neutro litis condicio praeponderet, Quint. 7, 2, 39.