prōcērus, a, um, adj. [pro and root kar of creo; cf. Gr. κράτος, κρατερός], high, tall, long.
I Lit. (class.; cf. excelsus): procerum collum, Cic. Brut. 91, 313: boves cornibus proceris, Col. 6, 1, 3: in procero corpore, Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 22: homo procerae staturae, Suet. Vesp. 23: habitu procerus, Tac. H. 4, 1: pueritia, id. ib. 4, 14: homo procerior, Col. 3, 8, 2: usus est calceamentis altiusculis, ut procerior videretur, Suet. Aug. 73: (Galatea) floridior pratis, longa procerior alno, Ov. M. 13, 790: inter hos procerissimos populos, Cic. Leg. 1, 5, 15: procerissimus quisque, Suet. Calig. 47: cohortes, Sil. 15, 717: statura, Vulg. Num. 13, 33.—Of plants, trees: procerissimae populi, Cic. Leg. 1, 5, 15: quid enim abiete procerius? Plin. 17, 4, 3, § 26: proceras lauros, Cat. 64, 289: silvae, Ov. H. 16, 107; Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 7: Pompeianum (genus) procerius, Plin. 19, 8, 41, § 140.—
B In partic., perh. the name of a company of tall soldiers , similar to our grenadiers : VETERANVS EX PROCERIORIBVS, Inscr. Murat. 800, 2.—
II Transf., in gen., long , extended , large : passus, Lucr. 4, 827: aves procero rostro, Cic. N. D. 1, 36, 101: lupi, large , Hor. S. 2, 2, 36; cf.: thoes, luporum id genus est, procerius longitudine, Plin. 8, 34, 52, § 123: procerior cauda, id. 8, 45, 70, § 183: dextera, id. 11, 43, 99, § 245: proceriores uniones, id. 9, 35, 56, § 113: cucurbitae, id. 19, 5, 24, § 72: syllabae procerae sunt, quae vocalem longam habent in paenultima, ut facultas, long , Varr. ap. Diom. p. 423 P.: anapaestus, procerior numerus, Cic. de Or. 3, 48, 185.— Poet.: plangebant aliae proceris tympana palmis, i. e. outstretched , upraised , Cat. 64, 289.—Hence, * adv.: prōcērē ; comp. : bracchium procerius projectum, stretched out to a greater length , Cic. de Or. 3, 59, 220.