verb transitive

āmento

2nd PP āmentāre · 3rd PP āmentāvi · 4th PP ātum · conj. 1st

to furnish with a strap; thong; •

Lit., to furnish with a strap or thong; esp. of the javelin, to the middle of which a strap was fastened, so that it might be thrown with greater force (very rare; only twice in Cic.): hastae amentatae, Cic. Brut. 78, 271.—Trop., of discourse: amentatae hastae (i. e. apta et parata argumenta), Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 242 (so Juv. sagittae and jaculator, q. v.).—Hence,

to hurl; dart the javelin by extension •

Transf., poet., to hurl or dart the javelin by means of a thong: cum jaculum parvā Libysamentavit habenā, * Luc. 6, 221.—And of the wind, which gives an impetus to motion, as a thong to the dart: amentante Noto, Sil. 14, 422.

Perseus ID: n2212 Key: amento