verbthird conjugation
flectō
flectō (present infinitive flectere, perfect active flexī, supine flexum)
Classical[ˈfɫɛk.toː]Ecclesiastical[ˈflɛk.to]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- to bend, curve or bow
- to deviate, distract
- to turn or curl
[...] genitor caelōque invectus apertō
… Father [Neptune], [now] riding under a clear sky, turns [his] team and gives rein to [his] swift-following chariot [as it] flies.29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.155–156 - figurativelyto persuade, prevail upon, or soften
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
viam mūtō, in aliam partem vertō; equōs flectimus.flectō -ere flexī — in Mille Verba, ch. Via et Iter
vertōflectō -ere — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 19
Conjugation conjugation 3
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | flectō | flectēbam | flectam | flexī | flexeram | flexerō |
| 2nd sg. | flectis | flectēbās | flectēs | flexistī | flexerās | flexeris |
| 3rd sg. | flectit | flectēbat | flectet | flexit | flexerat | flexerit |
| 1st pl. | flectimus | flectēbāmus | flectēmus | fleximus | flexerāmus | flexerimus |
| 2nd pl. | flectitis | flectēbātis | flectētis | flexistis | flexerātis | flexeritis |
| 3rd pl. | flectunt | flectēbant | flectent | flexērunt flexēre | flexerant | flexerint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | flectam | flecterem | flexerim | flexissem |
| 2nd sg. | flectās | flecterēs | flexerīs | flexissēs |
| 3rd sg. | flectat | flecteret | flexerit | flexisset |
| 1st pl. | flectāmus | flecterēmus | flexerīmus | flexissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | flectātis | flecterētis | flexerītis | flexissētis |
| 3rd pl. | flectant | flecterent | flexerint | flexissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | flector | flectēbar | flectar |
| 2nd sg. | flecteris flectere | flectēbāris flectēbāre | flectēris flectēre |
| 3rd sg. | flectitur | flectēbātur | flectētur |
| 1st pl. | flectimur | flectēbāmur | flectēmur |
| 2nd pl. | flectiminī | flectēbāminī | flectēminī |
| 3rd pl. | flectuntur | flectēbantur | flectentur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | flectar | flecterer |
| 2nd sg. | flectāris flectāre | flecterēris flecterēre |
| 3rd sg. | flectātur | flecterētur |
| 1st pl. | flectāmur | flecterēmur |
| 2nd pl. | flectāminī | flecterēminī |
| 3rd pl. | flectantur | flecterentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | flecte | flectere |
| pres. 2nd pl. | flectite | flectiminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | flectitō | flectitor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | flectitō | flectitor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | flectitōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | flectuntō | flectuntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | flectere | flectī |
| perfect infinitive | flexisse | flexum esse |
| future infinitive | flexūrum esse | flexum īrī |
| present participle | flectēns | — |
| perfect participle | — | flexus flexa, flexā, flexae, flexam, flexārum, flexās, flexe, flexīs, flexō, flexōrum, flexōs |
| future participle | flexūrus flexūra, flexūrā, flexūrae, flexūram, flexūrārum, flexūrās, flexūre, flexūrī, flexūrīs, flexūrō, flexūrōrum, flexūrōs, flexūrum | flectendus flectundus, flectenda, flectendā, flectendae, flectendam, flectendārum, flectendās, flectende, flectendīs, flectendōrum, flectendōs |
gerundflectendī, flectendō, flectendumsupineflexum, flexū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- iter flectere, convertere, avertere
- to deviate, change the direction.
- animum alicuius or simply aliquem flectere
- to make a person change his intention.
flecto, xi, xum, 3, v. a. and n. root in Gr. φολκός, bandy-legged; φάλκης, the bent rib of a ship; L. falx; falco, so called from the curve of its claws or beak; cf. Germ. Falke; Engl. falcon.
I. Act., to bend, bow, curve, turn, turn round (freq. and class.; syn.: plecto, plico, curvo).
A. Lit.
1. In gen.:
animal omne membra quocumque vult, flectit, contorquet, porrigit, contrahit, Cic. Div. 1, 53, 120: ora retro, Ov. M. 3, 188: vultus ad illum, id. ib. 4, 265; 10, 236: lumina a gurgite in nullam partem, id. ib. 8, 367: geminas acies huc, to turn, direct, Verg. A. 6, 789; cf. oculos, id. ib. 8, 698: equos brevi moderari ac flectere, Caes. B. G. 4, 33 fin.: equum, Hor. C. 3, 7, 25: currum de foro in Capitolium, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 30, § 77: plaustrum, Ov. M. 10, 447: navem, Auct. B. Alex. 64 fin.: habenas, Ov. M. 2, 169: cursus in orbem, id. ib. 6, 225; cf.: cursus in laevum, id. Tr. 1, 10, 17: iter ad Privernum, Liv. 8, 19, 13 Drak. N. cr.: iter Demetriadem, id. 35, 31, 3: tu (Bacche) flectis amnes, tu mare barbarum, Hor. C. 2, 19, 17: arcus, to bend, Ov. M. 4, 303; cf.: flexos incurvant viribus arcus, Verg. A. 5, 500: flexum genu, Ov. M. 4, 340: artus, Liv. 21, 58, 9: flexi crines, curled, Mart. 3, 63, 3; 10, 65, 6; Juv. 6, 493: flexum mare, i.e. a bay, Tac. A. 14, 4: flexi fractique motus, contorted, Cic. Fin. 5, 12, 35: hinc (silva) se flectit sinistrorsus, Caes. B. G. 6, 25, 3.—Mid.: quasi amnis celeris rapit, sed tamen inflexu flectitur, Naev. ap. Non. 191, 34 (Trag. Rel. v. 42 Rib.): (milvus) flectitur in gyrum, wheels, Ov. M. 2, 718: modo flector in anguem, I bend, wind myself into a snake, id. ib. 8, 883: sol ab ea (Cancri) meta incipit flecti, Plin. 18, 28, 68, § 264: Euphrates ad meridiem flectitur, id. 6, 26, 30, § 125.— 2. In partic., naut. t. t., to go round or double a promontory:
cum in flectendis promontoriis ventorum mutationes maximas saepe sentiant, Cic. Div. 2, 45, 94: Leucaten flectere molestum videbatur, id. Att. 5, 9, 1.—B. Trop.
1. In gen., to bend, turn, direct:
ducere multimodis voces et flectere cantus, Lucr. 5, 1406: vocem, Ov. Am. 2, 4, 25: qui teneros et rudes cum acceperunt, inficiunt et flectunt, ut volunt, Cic. Leg. 1, 17, 47; cf.: imbecillitatem animorum torquere et flectere, id. ib. 1, 10, 29: suam naturam huc et illuc torquere ac flectere, id. Cael. 6, 13: vitam flectere fingereque, id. Sull. 28, 79: mentes suas ad nostrum imperium nomenque, id. Balb. 17, 39: aliquem a proposito, Liv. 28, 22, 11: scribentis animum a vero, id. 1 praef. 5: animus ab aliqua opinione flectendus, Quint. 4, 2, 80: animos ad publica carmina, Ov. Tr. 5, 1, 23: quo vobis mentes ... dementes sese flexere viaï? Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 6, 16 (Ann. v. 209 ed. Vahl.): est viri et ducis oblata casu flectere ad consilium, Liv. 28, 44, 8: juvenis cereus in vitium flecti, Hor. A. P. 163: quod procul a nobis flectat Fortuna gubernans, turn aside, avert, Lucr. 5, 108.—2. In partic.
a. To bend (in opinion or in will), to move, persuade, prevail upon, overcome, soften, appease (cf.:
moveo, afficio): quibus rebus ita flectebar animo atque frangebar, ut, etc., Cic. Sull. 6, 18: sed quid te oratione flectam? ... qua re flecte te, quaeso, id. Phil. 1, 14, 35: facile Achivos flexeris, Enn. ap. Gell. 11, 4, 3 (Trag. v. 229 ed. Vahl.): judices, Quint. 6, 1, 9: flectere mollibus jam durum imperiis, Hor. C. 4, 1, 6: precibus si flecteris ullis, Verg. A. 2, 689: flectere si nequeo Superos, Acheronta movebo, id. ib. 7, 312; cf.: nisi dii immortales suo numine prope fata ipsa flexissent, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 19: desine fata deum flecti sperare precando, Verg. A. 6, 376: animos commutare atque omni ratione flectere, Cic. de Or. 2, 52 fin.: ingenium alicujus aversum, Sall. J. 102, 3: si quem a proposito spes mollitiave animi flexisset, divert, dissuade, Liv. 28, 22, 11: dictis nostris sententia flexa est, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 257 Müll. (Ann. v. 264 ed. Vahl.): si flectitur ira deorum, Ov. M. 1, 378: cf. id. Tr. 3, 5, 41: hortaturque simul flectitque labores, soothes, Stat. S. 5, 1, 119: ad deditionem primos, Liv. 5, 43, 1.—Mid.: plurimum valet miseratio, quae judicem flecti non tantum cogit, sed, etc., to let himself be moved, Quint. 6, 1, 23: flexi in misericordiam, Amm. 12, 27.—b. (Acc. to I. A. 2.) To turn aside from, to avoid a thing:
ut eam (viam) flectas, te rogo, Cic. Att. 11, 18, 2 (but B. and K. ex conj. C. F. Hermann read ira, v. a. sup.); cf.: flexit viam, Liv. 1, 60, 1: dolo a se flexos imputavit civilis, Tac. H. 5, 24.—c. To refer to or apply to any one:
versus qui in Tiberium flecterentur, Tac. A. 6, 29: Augustus quaedam ex horrida illa antiquitate ad praesentem usum flexisset, id. ib. 4, 16.— d. In grammar.
(a). To form a word from another language:
verba derivare, flectere, conjungere, Quint. 8, 3, 36: hoc vocabulum (pollex) de Graeco flexum est, Gell. 4, 3 fin. —(b). To decline, conjugate, inflect, Varr. L. L. 10, 2, 29 al.—
(g). Flectere syllabam, to mark with the circumflex accent, and hence, to lengthen, Quint. 1, 5, 23 Spald. and Zumpt.
II. Neutr., to turn, go, or march in any direction (post-Aug.).
A. Lit.:
cum procul hos laevo flectentes limite cernunt, Verg. A. 9, 372: ex Gabino in Tusculanos flexere colles, Liv. 3, 8, 6; Hasdrubal ad Oceanum flectit, id. 28, 16, 3: inde Vitellius Cremonam flexit, Tac. H. 2, 70: in Capitolium, Suet. Tib. 20.—B. Trop., of thought or speech, to turn in any direction:
ad providentiam sapientiamque, Tac. A. 13, 3: in ambitionem, id. ib. 4, 37: a veneratione Augusti orsus flexit ad victorias Tiberii, id. ib. 1, 34.—Hence, flexus, a, um, P. a. A. Lit., bent, winding:
error, Ov. M. 8, 160: zodiacus circa Cancrum Capricornumque flexior, Mart. Cap. 8, § 878.—In neutr. plur. subst.: collium flexa, Minuc. Fel. Octav. 17.—B. Trop., of tones, lengthened:
infinito magis illa flexa et circumducta sunt, Quint. 11, 3, 172.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
flectō flēxī, flexus, ere
FALC-, to bend, bow, curve, turn, turn round : equos brevi, Cs.: de foro in Capitolium currūs: habenas, O.: cursūs in orbem, O.: iter ad Privernum, L.: flexa In burim ulmus, V.: artūs, L.: ora retro, O.: geminas acies huc, direct , V.: lumina, avert , V.: salignas cratīs, weave , V.: flex<*> fractique motūs, contorted : flexum mare, a bay , Ta.: (silva) se sinistrorsus, Cs.: (milvus) Flectitur in gyrum, wheels , O.: flector in anguem, wind myself into a snake , O.: Cera multas Flectitur in facies, is moulded , O.— To turn, double, pass around : in flectendis promunturiis: Leucatam.— To turn from, avoid, turn out of : viam, C., L.: iter, V.— To turn, go, divert one's course, march, pass : laevo flectentes limine, V.: ex Gabino in Tusculanos flexere colles, L.: ad Oceanum, L.: ad sapientiam, Ta.—Fig., to bend, turn, direct, sway, change : animum, T.: teneros et rudīs: suam naturam huc et illuc: vocem, modulate : flexus sonus, i. e. melancholy : mentīs suas ad nostrum imperium: aliquem a proposito, divert , L.: animos, quin, etc., L.: animos ad carmina, O.: Quo vobis mentes sese flexere viaï? Enn. ap. C.: Cereus in vitium flecti, H.: flexo in meridiem die, Ta.: versūs, qui in Tiberium flecterentur, i. e. might be applied , Ta.— To bend, move, persuade, influence, prevail upon, overcome, soften, appease : quibus rebus ita flectebar animo, ut, etc.: flectere mollibus Iam durum imperiis, H.: Superos, V.: fata deum precando, V.: ingenium alicuius avorsum, S.: si flectitur ira deorum, O.: ad deditionem animos, L.
Origins
Of uncertain origin, lacking any solid Indo-European cognates. Possible Proto-Indo-European predecessors include *bʰleK-, *dʰleK- (which points to an earlier form *θlektō), and *gʷʰleK- (which points to an earlier form *xʷlektō). Matasović has connected flectō with Proto-Slavic *gleznъ (“ankle”), reconstructing Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰleǵʰ- to account for both.
Later borrowings
- Catalanflectir
- Catalanflectar
- Italianflettere
- Portuguesefletir
- Portugueseflectir
- Sicilianfrèttiri
- Sicilianflèttiri
Italo-Romance
- ⇒ Central Italianaffiette
- Neapolitanfiette
Gallo-Romance
- Old Frenchfletir
- Old Occitanfletir
Ancient borrowings
- Old Irishsléchtaim
Elsewhere
- Vulgar Latin*flecticāre
In English words that came into English from flectō
- reflectreflectō
- reflectionreflexiō
- flexibleflexibilis
- flexflexus
- reflexreflexus
- inflectīnflectō
- inflectioninflexio
- retroflexrētrōflexus
- deflectdeflecto
- flexibilityflexibilitās
- genuflectgenūflectō
- deflectiondēflexiō
- flexorflexor
- flexureflexura
- flexionflexio
- flexuousflexuosus
- flexileflexilem
- deflexuredeflectere
- reflexionreflexiō
- inflexioninflexio