săgax, ācis, adj. [sagio; cf. salax, from salio], of quick perception, whose senses are acute, sagacious (class.).
I Lit.
A Chiefly of the acute sense of smelling in dogs, keen-scented : sagax Nasum habet, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 17: canes, Cic. Div. 1, 31, 65; Ov. M. 3, 207: catulus, id. R. Am. 201. —With gen.: naris sagax, Luc. 7, 829.— Poet.: virtus venandi, Ov. Hal. 76.—
B Of other senses: sollicitive canes canibusve sagacior anser, Ov. M. 11, 599: palatum in gustu sagacissimum, Plin. 8, 37, 35, § 132. —
II Trop., intellectually quick , keen , acute , shrewd , sagacious (syn.: sollers, perspicax, acutus, subtilis).
α Absol. : (homo) animal hoc providum, sagax, multiplex, acutum, memor, plenum rationis et consilii, Cic. Leg. 1, 7, 22; cf. id. Fin. 2, 14, 45: mens, id. Tusc. 5, 23, 67; Lucr. 5, 420; 1, 1021: animus, id. 2, 840; 4, 913: ratio, id. 1, 131; 1, 369: homo sagax et astutus, Mart. 12, 87, 4: modo circumspectus et sagax, modo inconsultus ac praeceps, considerate , Suet. Claud. 15: mire sagaces fallere hospites, Hor. C. 2, 5, 22: curae, id. ib. 4, 4, 75.—Of a soothsayer, knowing the future , Ov. M. 8, 316.—
β Ad aliquid (class.): ad suspicandum sagacissimus, Cic. Cat. 1, 8, 19: ad haec pericula perspicienda, Plancus ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 23, 4.—
γ With gen. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): utilium sagax rerum et divina futuri, Hor. A. P. 218: fibrarum et pennae divinarumque flammarum, skilled in , Sil. 3, 344; cf. in sup. : prodigiorum (Joseph), Just. 36, 2, 8; and: rerum naturae, Col. praef. § 22 (with non ignarus). —
δ With in or simple abl. (post-Aug.): vir in conjecturis sagacissimus, Just. 1, 9, 14: civitas rimandis offensis sagax, Tac. H. 4, 11.—
ε Inf. : sagax quondam ventura videre, Ov. M. 5, 146.—Hence, adv.: să-gācĭter .
a Quickly , sharply , keenly , with quickness of scent , with a fine sense of smell : canes si advenientem sagaciter odorantur, Col. 7, 12, 7.— Comp. , Cic. Att. 6, 4, 3: vultures sagacius odorantur, Plin. 10, 69, 88, § 191; Hor. Epod. 12, 4.— Sup. , Cic. de Or. 2, 44, 186; Plin. 11, 37, 50, § 137.—
b Trop., acutely , shrewdly , accurately , sagaciously : sagaciter pervestigare, Cic. de Or. 1, 51, 223: intueri, Quint. 2, 8, 4; Liv. 27, 28: perspicere naturam alicujus, Suet. Tib. 57 al.