I.sup. ocissimus), adj. comp. [kindr. with Gr. ὠκύς, Sanscr. ācu, from the root ac, sharp; cf.: acer, acutus, ἀκωκή], swifter, fleeter (poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
I. Lit.: “et ventis, et fulminis ocior alis,” Verg. A. 5, 319; 10, 248: “ocior cervis, Ocior Euro,” Hor. C. 2, 16, 23; 24: “aurā,” id. ib. 1, 2, 48; “2, 20, 13: fugit ocior aurā,” Ov. M. 1, 502: “verbere,” Luc. 1, 230: “Tigris ocior remeat,” Plin. 8, 18, 25, § 66: “ociore ambitu,” id. 2, 8, 6, § 39: “ociore spatio,” id. 2, 19, 17, § 81.—
II. Transf., of time, quicker, sooner, earlier; sup.: “ficorum ocissima senectus,” Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 130: “pira,” the soonest ripe, id. 15, 15, 16, § 53: “venenum,” id. 27, 2, 2, § 4.—Hence, adv.: ōcĭ-ter ; comp. ōcĭus; sup. ocissĭme (old collat. form oxime , Paul. ex Fest. p. 195 Müll.); quickly, swiftly, speedily (class. only in the comp. and sup.; cf.: ocius secundae collationis et deinde tertiae ocissime frequentata sunt, etc., Paul. ex Fest. p. 181 Müll.).
A. Posit. (ante- and post-class.): ociter serva cives, Enn. ap. Non. 277, 21, acc. to Vahl. ad Enn. Trag. v. 1: “profer ociter,” App. M. 1, p. 113, 32; p. 125, 8.—
B. Comp., more quickly or speedily, sooner, etc.: “idque ocius faciet, si, etc.,” Cic. Rep. 6, 26, 29: “ut ocius ad tuum pervenias,” id. Quint. 13, 43: “recreantur ocius,” id. Tusc. 4, 14, 32: omnium Versatur urna, serius ocius Sors exitura, sooner or later, Hor. C. 2, 3, 26: “angulus iste feret piper et tus ocius uvā,” sooner than, rather than, id. Ep. 1, 14, 23: “ocius illud extorquebis,” i. e. more easily, Juv. 6, 53.—
2. Sometimes the comp. is used in gen. for quickly, speedily: “sequere hac me ocius, Ter Heaut. 4, 7, 4: gladio occursat,” Caes. B. G. 5, 43: “nemon' oleum fert ocius?” quickly, Hor. S. 2, 7, 34; Juv. 14, 252; Verg. A. 5, 828: “heus Phaedrome, exi, exi, exi, inquam, ocius,” Plaut. Curc. 2, 2, 26.—
C. Sup., very quickly or speedily: ocissime nos liberi possumus fieri, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 181 Müll.: “quam ocissume ad provinciam accedat,” as speedily as possible, Sall. J. 25, 5: “ferre,” Plin. 17, 11, 16, § 87: “sanant ulcera,” id. 34, 10, 22, § 100.
