pollĕo (polet, pollet: quia nondum geminabant antiqui consonantes, Fest. p. 205 Müll.), ēre, v. n. [potis-valeo].
I Lit.
A In gen., to be strong , powerful , or potent , to be able , to prevail , avail (class.; cf.: valeo, possum): QVANTO MAGIS POTES POLLESQVE, an old formula in Liv. 1, 24, 8: potest polletque (populus), Liv. 8, 33; Plaut. As. 3, 3, 46: qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69: pollere, regnare, dominari, Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21: qui in republicā tum plurimum pollebant, Caes. B. C. 1, 4: polleo plurimum inter homines, id. ap. Suet. Caes. 6; Cic. Brut. 51, 90: ad fidem faciendam justitia plus pollet, id. Off. 2, 9, 34: cum Romana majestas toto orbe polleret, Flor. 4, 2, 8.—With subj.-clause : is omnibus exemplo debet esse, quantum in hac urbe polleat, multorum obedire tempori, Cic. Brut. 69, 242.—
β With abl.: formā, Prop. 3, 8 (4, 9), 17: pecuniā, Suet. Caes. 19: armis, Tac. A. 11, 24: gloriā antiquitatis, id. ib. 4, 55: nobilitate, id. H. 3, 45: malis artibus, id. A. 14, 57: gratiā, id. H. 2, 92. —
B In partic., of medicines, to be potent or efficacious , to operate : herba contra anginas efficacissime pollet, is a powerful specific , Plin. 24, 19, 110, § 171: pollet adversus scorpiones, id. 20, 16, 63, § 171: aurum plurimis modis pollet in remediis, id. 33, 4, 25, § 84; 28, 8, 29, § 114.—
II Transf.
A To be of worth , to be valued , esteemed , Plin. 19, 3, 17, § 47: cum eadem vitis aliud aliis in locis polleat, id. 14, 6, 8, § 70.—
B To possess in abundance , be rich in : utensilibus, Ap. Met. 2, 19, 18.
VIII —Hence, pollens , entis, P. a., strong , mighty , able , powerful , potent (mostly since the Aug. period; not in Cic.): genus pollens atque honoratissumum, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 28: animus, abunde pollens potensque, Sall. J. 1, 3: potens pollensque, Liv. 2, 34; Inscr. Grut. 50, 3: genus pollens, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 28: classis plurimum pollens mari, Vell. 1, 2: mens pollentior, Tert. adv. Psych. 6: pollentissima ingenia, Sol. 2 med. —With abl.: sagittis pollens dea, Naev. ap. Macr. 6, 5 (Trag. Rel. p. 11 Rib.): equo pollens, Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 55: opibus, Lucr. 1, 61: venenis, Val. Fl. 6, 85.—With gen.: vini pollens Liber, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 21 (Fleck. as one word, vinipollens).—With acc.: soror cuncta pollentis viri, Argolica Juno, Sen. Agam. 805.—With inf.: tractare sereno Imperio vulgum pollens, Sil. 14, 80; Luc. 6, 685.—Hence, adv.: pollenter , powerfully (post-class.); comp. pollentius, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 254.