paucus, a, um (gen. plur. paucūm, Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4, fin.—Dat. plur. fem. paucabus, Cn. Gellius ap. Charis. p. 39 P.), adj. [root pau-; Gr. παύω, to cause to cease, παῦλα, remnant, παῦρος, little; cf. paulus, pauper, parvus (παῦρος）],
I few , little (the sing. very rare; cf.: parvus, exiguus, rarus): verbūm Paucūm, Enn. ap. Gell. 12, 4, 4 (Ann. v. 252 Vahl.): in diebus paucis Chrysis moritur, Ter. And. 104: paucis diebus post mortem Africani, Cic. Lael. 1, 3; cf.: his paucis diebus, a few days ago , id. de Or. 1, 37, 168; id. Tusc. 5, 35, 102: causae modicae et paucae, id. de Or. 2, 32, 140: pauci admodum familiares, id. Lael. 1, 2; id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 1; id. Fam. 2, 7, 3: paucorum hominum et mentis bene sanae (i. e. paucis hominibus familiariter utens), Hor. S. 1, 9, 44; cf. Ter. Eun. 409 and v. Ruhnk. ad h. l. Lycurgus γέροντας Lacedaemone appellavit, nimis is quidem paucos, XXVIII., quos, etc., Cic. Rep. 2, 28, 50: nimium fortasse pauci viverent, Lact. Ira Dei, 20, 5.— Comp ne pauciores cum pluribus manum consererent, Sall. J. 49, 2. pauciora navigia, Auct. B. Afr.— Sup. : quam paucissimae plagae, Cels. 7, 2.—
β In sing.: tibia tenuis simplexque foramine pauco, Hor. A. P. 203: injurias pauco aere diluere, Gell. 20, 1, 31. —
II Subst.
A pauci , ōrum, m., few , a few : ut metus ad omnes, poena ad paucos perveniret, Cic. Clu. 46, 128: pauci sciebant, id. Mur. 11, 25: calumnia paucorum, Sall. C. 30, 4: paucorum potentia, id. ib. 39, 1; 20, 7.—Sometimes pauci is used in the sense of the few , the select few (opp. multi, the many, the multitude): non paucis . . . ac sapientibus esse probatum, Lucil. ap. Non. 519, 10: paucorum judicium, Cic. Or. 3, 13: eorum qui pauci nominantur, id. Lael. 6, 22: pauciores, the more distinguished (opp. plures), Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 12.—Hence, inter paucos (paucas), in paucis, adverb., with adjj. , especially , eminently , extraordinarily , etc.: nobilis pugna atque inter paucas memorata, Liv. 22, 7, 1: pugna memorabilis inter paucas, id. 23, 44, 4: situs inter paucas munitae urbis, id. 38, 15, 9: Florus, inter paucos disertus, Quint. 10, 3, 13: Hector, in paucis Alexandro carus, Curt. 4, 8, 7: regi carus in paucis, id. 6, 8, 2: in paucis digna res, Plin. 30, 1, 1, § 1; 27, 7, 28, § 45.—
B pauca , ōrum, n., a few words : philosophandum est paucis, nam omnino haut placet, Enn. ap. Gell. 5, 15, 9 (Trag. v. 417 Vahl.): pauca sunt, tecum quae volo, Afran. ap. Charis. p. 214 P.: audite, pueri, pauca, Afran. ap. Non. 403, 21: in pauca confer, Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 54: paucis me misit ad eam, id. Bacch. 4, 1, 16: paucis rem attingere, id. Truc. 4, 4, 11: ausculta paucis, Ter. And. 536: paucis te volo, id. ib. 29: paucis docebo, Verg. A. 4, 116: pauca refert, id. ib. 4, 333: pauca respondere, Hor. S. 1, 6, 61: ipsi pauca velim, Juv. 5, 107: cetera quam paucissimis absolvam, Sall. J. 17, 2.