spissus, a, um, adj. [root spi-, to press; cf. Lith. spitu].
I Lit., thick , crowded , close , compact , dense (mostly poet and in post-Aug. prose; syn.: crassus, densas): durata ac spissa, Lucr. 2, 444: corpus, id. 6, 127: liquor, Ov. M. 12, 438: sanguis, id. ib. 11, 367: aër, id. ib. 1, 23: grando, id. ib. 9, 222 et saep.: corona Non tam spissa viris, Verg. A. 9, 509; so, coronae, Hor. A. P. 381: sedilia, id. ib. 205: theatra, id. Ep. 1, 19, 41: coma, id. C. 3, 19, 25; cf.: nemorum comae, id. ib. 4, 3, 11: ramis laurea, id. ib. 2, 15, 9: harena, Verg. A. 5, 336; cf. litus, Ov. M. 15, 718: tunica, of a close texture , Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 46: navis juncturis aquam excludentibus, Sen. Ep. 76: caligo, Ov. M. 7, 528: noctis umbrae, Verg. A. 2, 621: tenebrae, Petr. 114, 3: nubes, Ov. Am. 1, 13, 30; id. M. 5, 621; Curt. 4, 3, 16; 8, 13, 24.— Comp. : semen, Col. 4, 33, 3: ignis, Luc. 9, 604.— Sup. : spississima arbor (ebenus et buxus), Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 204: minimum ex nequitiā levissimumque ad alios redundat; quod pessimum ex illā est et, ut ita dicam, spississimum, domi remanet et premit habentem, Sen. Ep. 81, 21.—
B Transf., of time.
1 Slow , tardy , late (rare but class.): omnia tarda et spissa, Cic. Att. 16, 18, 2; cf.: in utroque genere dicendi exitus spissi et producti esse debent, id. de Or. 2, 53, 213.—
2 Spissum illud amanti est verbum, Veniet nisi venit, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 77: nihil ego spei credo, omnes res spissas facit, Caecil. ap. Non. 392, 15; Pac., Titin., and Turp. ib. sq.: haruspices si quid boni promittunt, pro spisso evenit; Id quod mali promittunt, praesentiarum est, slowly , late , Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 47.—
3 Thick , i. e. in quick succession , rapid , frequent , fast , = continuus, creber (very rare): spississima basia, Petr. 31, 1.—
II Trop., hard , difficult (rare but class.): spissum sane opus et operosum, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 14, 1: si id erit spissius, id. Fam. 2, 10, 4: si est aliquanto spissius, id. de Or. 3, 36, 145.—Hence, adv.: spissē .
1 Thickly , closely : calcare carbones, Plin. 36, 25, 63, § 188.— Comp. , Col. 2, 9, 2; Plin. 29, 2, 9, § 31. —
2 Transf.
a Slowly : tu nimis spisse atque tarde incedis, Naev. ap. Non. 392, 25: habet hoc senectus, cum pigra est ipsa, ut spisse omnia videantur confieri, Pac. ib. 393, 4: cum spisse atque vix ad Antonium pervenimus, Cic. Brut. 36, 138.— Comp. : nascimur spissius quam emorimur, Varr. ap. Non. 392, 29.—*
b Rapidly : basiavit me spissius, Petr. 18, 4.