I.smooth, smoothed, not rough, opp. asper (class.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “corpuscula quaedam levia, alia aspera, etc.,” Cic. N. D. 1, 24, 66: “in locis (spectatur): leves an asperi,” id. Part. Or. 10, 36: “Deus levem eum (mundum) fecit et undique aequabilem,” id. Univ. 6: “pocula,” smooth, shining, Verg. A. 5, 91: “pharetrae,” id. ib. 5, 558: “brassica,” Cato, R. R. 15, 7: “levissima corpora,” Lucr. 4, 659: “coma pectine levis,” Ov. M. 12, 409: “nascunturque leves per digitos umerosque plumae,” Hor. C. 2, 20, 11: “levior assiduo detritis aequore conchis,” Ov. M. 13, 792: inimicus pumice levis, rubbed (cf. pumicatus), Juv. 9, 95.—Poet.: levi cum sanguine Nisus labitur infelix, slippery, Verg. A. 5, 328: “levis Juventas ( = imberbis),” smooth, without hair, beardless, Hor. C. 2, 11, 6; so, “ora,” Tib. 1, 9 (8), 31: “crura,” Juv. 8, 115: “sponsus,” id. 3, 111: “caput,” id. 10, 199; 2, 12; hence, also, poet. for youthful, delicate, beautiful: “pectus,” Verg. A. 11, 40: “frons,” id. E. 6, 51: “umeri,” id. A. 7, 815: “colla,” Ov. M. 10, 698.—Also, finely dressed, spruce, effeminate: “vir,” Ov. A. A. 3, 437; Pers. 1, 82: argentum, smooth, not engraved or chased, Juv. 14, 62.—In neutr. absol.: “externi ne quid valeat per leve morari,” smoothness, Hor. S. 2, 7, 87; so, “per leve,” Pers. 1, 64: “per levia,” Aus. Idyll. 16, 4.—
B. Transf., rubbed smooth, ground down, softened, soft (rare), Scrib. Comp. 228; Cels. 2, 8.—
II. Trop., of speech, smooth, flowing (rare but class.): “oratio (opp. aspera),” Cic. Or. 5 fin.; so, “levis verborum concursus (opp. asper),” id. de Or. 3, 43, 171: “levis et aspera (vox),” Quint. 11, 3, 15: “levis et quadrata compositio,” id. 2, 5, 9: “levia ac nitida,” id. 5, 12, 18: “(aures) fragosis offenduntur et levibus mulcentur,” id. 9, 4, 116.—Adv. does not occur.