quickworking

răpĭdus, a, um, adj. [rapio], tearing away, seizing.

Lit. (very rare, and only poet.):

ferae,

Ov. H. 10, 96; 11, 111 (but in Lucr. 4, 712, the correct read. is rabidi leones).—Of hunting-dogs:

agmen,

a tearing, fierce pack, Ov. M. 3, 242; cf. Lucr. 5, 890. —Of fierce, consuming heat:

aestus,

Verg. E. 2, 10:

sol,

id. G. 1, 92:

Sirius,

id. ib. 4, 425:

flamma,

Ov. M. 2, 123:

ignis,

Verg. G. 4, 263; Ov. M. 7, 326; 8, 225; 12, 274.— Of a consuming pyre, Ov. Tr. 1, 7, 20.—As epithet of the sea (qs. devouring), Tib. 1, 2, 40 (al. rabidus).—

Transf., tearing or hurrying along, swift, quick, rapid (the predom. and class. signif.; esp. freq. in the [p. 1523] poets).

Of waters:

fluvius,

Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 52; id. Men. prol. 64 sq.:

torrens,

Verg. A. 2, 305:

amnis,

Hor. S. 1, 10, 62; Lucr. 1, 14:

flumen,

Caes. B. C. 1, 50; Hor. S. 2, 3, 242; Tib. 1, 2, 44 Huschk. N. cr.; Quint. 6, 2, 6 al.; cf.:

lapsus fluminum (along with celeres venti),

Hor. C. 1, 12, 9:

Tigris,

id. ib. 4, 14, 46:

procellae,

Prop. 2, 16 (3, 8), 45:

undae (as a mere epitheton ornans),

Ov. M. 7, 6.— Sup.:

flumen,

Caes. B. C. 1, 50 fin. —

Of other hurrying, rapidly moving things:

turbo,

Lucr. 6, 668; cf.

venti,

Verg. A. 6, 75:

Notus,

Hor. C. 1, 28, 21:

ignis Jovis,

Verg. A. 1, 42:

sol,

Hor. C. 2, 9, 12; cf.:

axis (solis),

Ov. F. 3, 518:

orbis,

id. M. 2, 73; and:

caelum,

Stat. Th. 1, 197:

equi,

Ov. F. 5, 592; cf.:

volucris rapidissima,

id. M. 2, 716:

manus,

Verg. A. 8, 442:

currus,

id. ib. 12, 478; cf.

cursus,

id. ib. 12, 683:

agmen,

Tac. H. 2, 30; cf. Verg. A. 11, 906:

bella,

Claud. Cons. Stil. 1, 188:

impetus,

Flor. 4, 7, 12:

venenum,

i. e. quickworking, Tac. A. 12, 67; so,

virus,

id. ib. 13, 15 fin.:

pestis,

Sil. 7, 351:

vires,

id. 4, 678. —

Trop., hurried, impetuous, vehement, hasty:

oratio,

Cic. Fin. 2, 1, 3:

rapidus in consiliis,

over-hasty, precipitate, Liv. 22, 12 fin.:

rapidus proelia miscet,

Sil. 1, 266:

rapidus in urbem vectus,

Tac. H. 2, 54.— Hence, adv.: răpĭdē, acc. to II., hurriedly, hastily, quickly, rapidly:

dilapsus (fluvius),

Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 6:

iter confecit (along with festinanter),

Suet. Calig. 43.— Comp.:

eo rapidius... venit Rigodulum,

Tac. H. 4, 71.— Trop.: quod (pathêtikon) cum rapide fertur, sustineri nullo pacto potest, Cic. Or. 37, 128.