vĕl-ut or vĕl-ŭti, adv. (cf. vel, II.), even as, just as, like as.
I Correl., with a foll. sic or ita (very rare).
A In gen.: velut in cantu et fidibus, sic ex corporis totius naturā et figurā varios motus ciere, Cic. Tusc. 1, 10, 20 (al. vel ut): cum velut Sagunti excidium Hannibali, sic, etc., Liv. 31, 18, 9: velut per fistulam, ita per apertam vitis medullam umor trahitur, Col. 3, 18, 5.—
B In partic., to introduce comparisons: veluti Consul, cum, etc. ... sic exspectabat populus, etc., Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (Ann. v. 87 Vahl.): ac veluti magno in populo cum saepe coorta est Seditio ... Sic, etc., Verg. A. 1 148; v. infra, II. B. 2., and atque, II. 4.—
II Absol.
A In gen.: studeo hunc lenonem perdere, velut meum erum macerat, Plaut. Poen. 4, 1, 2: cum repente instructas velut in acie certo gradulegiones accedere Galli viderent, Hirt. B. G. 8, 9: ne vitam silentio transeant veluti pecora, quae, etc., Sall. C. 1, 1: veluti qui sentibus anguem Pressit, Verg. A. 2, 379. —With abl. absol. : cum velut inter pugnae fugaeque consilium trepidante equitatu, Liv. 1, 14, 8 Weissenb. ad loc.; cf. id. 1, 31, 3; 1, 29, 4; 1, 53, 5; 2, 12, 13.—
B In partic.
1 To connect, by way of example, a single instance with an established general proposition, as , for instance , for example : hoc est incepta efficere pulchre, veluti mihi Evenit, ut ovans praedā onustus incederem, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 145; id. Rud. 3, 1, 4; id. Merc. 2, 1, 3; cf. id. Aul. 3, 4, 3; id. Curc. 5, 3, 4; id. Truc. 2, 1, 35; 2, 7, 19: numquam tam male est Siculis, quin aliquid facete et commode dicant: veluti in hac re aiebant, In labores Herculis, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 44, § 95: ut illi dubia quaedam res ... probetur: velut apud Socraticum Aeschinem demonstrat Socrates, etc., id. Inv. 1, 31, 51: est etiam admiratio nonnulla in bestiis aquatilibus iis, quae gignuntur in terrā. Veluti crocodili, etc., id. N. D. 2, 48, 124; id. Fin. 2, 35, 116; cf.: multa conjecta sunt aliud alio tempore, velut hoc, etc., id. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 7, § 23: velut in hac quaestione plerique dixerunt, id. N. D. 1, 1, 2: velut iste chorus virtutum in eculeum inpositus imagines constituit, id. Tusc. 5, 5, 13: aliae quoque artes minores habent multiplicem materiam, velut architectonice, Quint. 2, 21, 8: sermonibus ejus fruebar, veluti fuit illa sermocinatio, Gell. 19, 8, 1.—
2 To introduce a comparison or figurative expression, as , like , as it were : concurrunt veluti venti, cum spiritus Austri, etc., Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 2 (Ann. v. 423 Vahl.); 6, 3 ( ib. v. 431 ib.): frena dabat Sipylus, veluti cum, etc., Ov. M. 6, 231: migrantes cernas totāque ex urbe ruentes, Ac, veluti ingentem formicae farris acervum Cum populant, etc., Verg. A. 4, 402; cf. supra, I. B.: hic velut hereditate relictum odium paternum conservavit, etc., Nep. Hann. 1, 3: quoddam simplex orationis condimentum, quod sentitur latente judicio velut palato, Quint. 6, 3, 19: ducetur rerum ipsā serie velut duce, id. 10, 7, 6: haec velut sagina dicendi, id. 10, 5, 17: inaequalia tantum et velut confragosa, id. 8, 5, 29: haec est velut imperatoria virtus, id. 7, 10, 13.—
3 To introduce a hypothetical comparative clause, just as if , just as though , as if , as though.
a Usually velut si: absentis Ariovisti crudelitatem, velut si coram adesset, horrerent, Caes. B. G. 1, 32: tantus patres metus de summā rerum cepit, velut si jam ad portas hostis esset, Liv. 21, 16, 2; Quint. 2, 13, 1: velut si urbem adgressurus Scipio foret, ita, etc., Liv. 29, 28, 9: facies inducitur illis (corporibus mixtis) Una, velut si quis, etc., Ov. M. 4, 375.—
b Sometimes, in this sense, velut alone: saepe, velut gemmas ejus signumque probarem, Per causam memini me tetigisse manum, Tib. 1, 6, 25 (21); Ov. M. 4, 596: velut ea res nihil ad religionem pertinuisset, Liv. 2, 36, 1: velut abundarent omnia, id. 2, 41, 9: me quoque juvat, velut ipse in parte laboris ac periculi fuerim, ad finem pervenisse, etc., id. 31, 1, 1 Weissenb. ad loc.