Plato › Greek Lexicon › κοῦφος

κοῦφος

kouphos

light, nimble

Appears 33 times across Plato's dialogues.

Frequency by work

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Dictionary (LSJ)

κοῦφος, η, ον, A. light, nimble, Hom. only in neut. pl. as Adv., κοῦφα ποσὶ προβιβάς stepping lightly on, Il. 13.158, cf. Hes. Sc. 323; κοῦφα βιβῶν Pi. O. 14.16; κ. ποσὶν ἄγʼ ἐς κύκλον Ar. Th. 954 (lyr.); also κούφοις ποσί Pi. O. 13.114; κουφοτάταις πτερύγων ἀκμαῖς Ar. Ra. 1353; πήδημα κ. ἐκ νεὼς ἀφήλατο A. Pers. 305; κ. ἐξᾶραι πόδα S. Ant. 224; κ. ἅλμα E. El. 439 (lyr.); κ. αἴρειν βῆμα Id. Tr. 343; οὐ τοῖς κούφοις ὁ δρόμος LXX Ec. 9.11: metaph., κουφότεραι . . ἀπειράτων φρένες too buoyant, Pi. O. 8.61. 2. metaph., easy, light, τελεῖν . . κούφαν κτίσιν to make achievement easy, ib.13.83; κ. εἰ δοίης τέλος A. Th. 260; κ. νύξ an easier night, of a sick person, Jul. Mis. 342a (Comp.); περίπατος Sor. 1.46; τὸ ὅσιον ἅπαν κ. ἔργον OGI 383.120 (Nemrud Dagh, i B. C.); of government, light, κουφοτέραν βασιλείαν less oppressive, Isoc. 9.51; ἡ εὔκλεια κουφοτέρα φέρειν X. Cyr. 8.2.22; of an antagonist, easy-going, κουφότατος ἦν κρατήσας Id. Ages. 11.12; δεσπότην ἀπράγμονα καὶ κ. ἐξαπατᾷ θεράπων Men. Per.Fr. 1. 3. unsubstantial, airy, vain, τὸ νέον . . κούφας ἀφροσύνας φέρον S. OC 1230 (lyr.); οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν . . κούφην σκιάν Id. Aj. 126; ἐλπίδος τι εἶχον κούφης Th. 2.51; κ. καὶ πτηνοὶ λόγοι Pl. Lg. 717c; κ. πρᾶγμα a trifle, ib.935a; κ. γράμματα a small letter, E. IT 594; of persons, = κουφόνους, Hdn. 5.7.1; τὸ κοῦφον τοῦ νοῦ levity, Paus. 5.21.14, cf. Hdn. 7.8.6. 4. light in point of weight, opp. βαρύς, Pl. Phlb. 14d, R. 438c (Comp.), etc.; κούφα σοι χθὼν ἐπάνωθε πέσοι may earth lie lightly on thee, E. Alc. 462 (lyr.), cf. Hel. 853; κούφη σοι κόνις ἥδε πέλοι IG 14.1942.4; κούφη σεῖο γαῖʼ ὀστέα κεύθοι ib.329 (Himera); κ. πνεύματα light airs, S. Aj. 558; ὀστᾶ τε καὶ κ. κόνις Men. 538.3; τὸ κουφότατον . . τῶν κακῶν . . πενία Id. Kith.Fr. 2. b. Medic. in various uses, σικύαι κοῦφαι dry cuppings, Philum. ap. Orib. 45.29.17, cf. Sor. 2.11, etc.; also κούφου μένοντος τοῦ ἰοῦ on the surface, Philum. Ven. 7.3; μὴν κ. the eighth month of pregnancy, Sor. 1.56; of food, easy to digest, light, Arist. EN 1141b18, etc. c. of troops, light-armed, οἱ κ. τῶν στρατιωτῶν Hell.Oxy. 6.4; ὡπλισμένοι κουφοτέροις ὅπλοις X. Mem. 3.5.27; κούφη στρατιά Plu. Fab. 11; τὰ κ. τῆς δυνάμεως Plb. 10.25.2. d. of ships, lightly-laden, Th. 6.37, 8.27. 5. light, slight, ἁμαρτήματα Pl. Lg. 863c; κουφότερα γυμνάσια, opp. ἀναγκαῖα, Arist. Pol. 1338b40; κ. ἐργασίαι ib.1321a25. 6. empty, κεράμια Gp. 7.24.2, cf. PLond. 5.1656.6 (iv A. D.), PFlor. 314.8(v. A.D.): hence as Subst., κοῦφον (sc. κεράμιον), τό, jar, in pl., POxy. 1631.16 (iii A. D.), PFay. 133.6 (iv A. D.), PStrassb. 1.10 (vi A. D.). 7. Act., relieving, assisting, χερὶ κούφᾳ Pi. P. 9.11: prob. to be taken in this sense in Theoc. 11.3. II. Adv. -φως lightly, nimbly, κ. ὀροῦσαι A. Eu. 112; κ. ἐσκευασμένοι, of soldiers, Th. 4.33; ὡπλισμένοι X. Mem. 3.5.26, etc.; κ. ἔχειν to be relieved, Arist. Pr. 873a16. 2. metaph., lightly, with light heart, κουφότερον μετεφώνεε Od. 8.201; κ. νοῆσαι Sapph. Supp. 5.14; κ. φέρειν, opp. δεινῶς φ., E. Med. 449, 1018; ὡς κουφότατα φέρειν Hdt. 1.35; διάγουσα κούφως doing well, of a patient, Hp. Epid. 1.26.δʹ. 3. lightly, with ease, A. Pr. 701.
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