adverb
usque1
usque (not comparable)
Classical[ˈʊs.kʷɛ]Ecclesiastical[ˈus.kʷe]
№ 527 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- not comparableconstantly, continuously
- not comparableas far as, up to, right until, all the way
Eōsdem facile addūcam, ut tē haec quae vastāre iam prīdem studēs relinquentem, usque ad portās prōsequantur.
I shall easily persuade the same [men], that as you are leaving these [things] which you have long been eager to destroy, they may escort [you] all the way to the [city] gates.63 BCE, Cicero, In Catilinam orationes 1.21ab ōvō usque ad māla
from the beginning to the end (literally, “from the egg to the apples”)c. 35 BCE, Horatius, Sermones 1.3.6–7
In the readers how our graded readers gloss it
continually
usque — in Seneca, ch. XVIII
Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms
Semper · Usque
Semper (ἀμπερές) means ‘always’ and ‘ever,’ absolutely, without reference to any definite limit; whereas usque only relatively ‘always,’ within a definite limit, in usque dum, etc.; but by the poets it is used without any additional clause, as in Horace, for example, Sat. i. 9. Usque sequar te (i. 14.)
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- ab ovo usque ad mala (proverb.)
- from beginning to end.
- haec gens pertinet usque ad Rhenum
- the territory of this race extends as far as the Rhine.
usquĕ, adv. us- for ubs-, from ubi with locative s; and que for qued, old abl. of quis; v. Corss. Ausspr. 2, 471; 838; cf.: quisque, usquam.
I. Lit., all the way to or from any limit of space, time, etc. (cf.: fine, tenus); of place, all the way, right on, without interruption, continuously, constantly.
A. With prepositions.
1. With ab:
qui a fundamento mihi usque movisti mare, Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 55: usque a mari supero Romam proficisci, Cic. Clu. 68, 192: ex omnibus spectaculis usque a Capitolio plausus excitatus, id. Sest. 58, 124: usque a rubro mari, Nep. Hann. 2, 1.—Poet.: Dardaniam Siculo prospexit ab usque Pachyno, Verg. A. 7, 289 (sometimes as one word, v. abusque).—2. With ex:
usque ex ultimā Syriā atque Aegypto navigare, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 60, § 157. —3. With ad:
usque a Dianio ad Sinopen navigaverunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 34, § 87: ab imis unguibus usque ad verticem summum, id. Rosc. Com. 7, 20: usque ad Iconium, id. Fam. 3, 8, 4: ab Atticā ad Thessaliam usque, Plin. 4, 12, 21, § 63: usque ad Numantiam misit, Cic. Dejot. 7, 19: usque ad castra hostium accessit, Caes. B. G. 1, 51 (poet. and post-Aug. ad usque; often as one word, v. adusque).—4. With in and acc.:
cum ad eum usque in Pamphyliam legatos misissent, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 12, 35: portūs usque in sinūs oppidis et ad urbis crepidines infusi, id. Rep. 3, 31, 43.—5. With trans:
trans Alpes usque transfertur, Cic. Quint. 3, 12.—6. With sub and acc.:
admōrunt oculis usque sub ora faces, Ov. Ib. 240 (236).—B. With adverbs of place:
quod eos usque istinc exauditos putem, Cic. Att. 1, 14, 4.—2. Esp., with quaque (less correctly as one word, usquequaque; v. II. A. 3. e. and II. B. 3. infra), everywhere: non usque quaque idoneum invenias locum, ubi, etc., Afran. ap. Non. p. 518, 6 (Com. Rel. v. 198 Rib.):
immo vero, quom usquequaque umbra'st, tamen Sol semper hic est, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 79: mari terrāque illas usque quaque quaeritat, id. Poen. prol. 105: aut undique religionem tolle, aut usque quaque conserva, Cic. Phil. 2, 43, 110: effugere non est, Flacce, basiatores. Instant ... occurrunt, et hinc et illinc, usquequaque, quacunque, Mart. 11, 98, 3; cf.: QVAQVE VSQVE, Inscr. Grut. 611, 13.—C. With acc. of the place whither, all the way to, as far as, to.
1. With names of towns (class.; acc. to Reisig. Vorles. p. 216, usque ad Numantiam means all the way to the town, i. e. to its walls or gates: usque Numantiam, all the way to or into it, implying entrance of the town; cf.
the passages cited infra): theatrum ita resonans, ut usque Romam significationes vocesque referantur, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 14, § 42: Miletum usque? obsecro, Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 21.—2. With other names than those of towns (post-Aug.):
ab hac (sc. Siciliā) Cretam usque Siculum (mare) vocat, Plin. 3, 5, 10, § 75: imperium usque extremos Orientis terminos prolatum, Just. 7, 1, 4: terminos usque Libyae, id. 1, 1, 5: ab Atticā Thessaliam usque, Plin. 4, 12, 21, § 63: ab eo usque Jovem, id. 2, 22, 20, § 84: horrendus ab astris Descendit vos usque fragor, Stat. Th. 11, 89.—II. Meton.
A. Of time, all the time, continually, perpetually, all the while from or to a period, as long or as far as, until.
1. With prepositions.
a. With ab:
mihi magna cum eo jam inde usque a pueritiā Fuit semper familiaritas, Ter. Heaut. 1, 2, 9: primus esses memoriter Progeniem nostram usque ab avo proferens, id. Phorm. 2, 3, 48: augures omnes usque a Romulo, Cic. Vatin. 8, 20: opinio jam usque ab heroicis ducta temporibus, from as far back as the heroic ages, id. Div. 1, 1, 1: usque a Thale Milesio, id. N. D. 1, 33, 91: bona paterna et avita et usque a nobis repetita, id. Cael. 14, 34.—b. With ad:
usque a mane ad vesperum, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 97: a mane ad noctem usque in foro dego diem, id. Most. 3, 1, 3: inde usque ad diurnam stellam crastinam potabimus, id. Men. 1, 2, 62; cf. Cic. Rep. 1, 16, 25: ille nihil difficilius esse dicebat, quam amicitiam usque ad extremum vitae diem permanere, id. Lael. 10, 33: deinceps retro usque ad Romulum, as far as, up to, id. Rep. 1, 37, 58.—2. With acc. (post-Aug.):
paucae, aegre se defen dentes, usque tempora Alexandri Magni duraverunt, Just. 2, 4, 32: a rege Romulo usque Caesarem Augustum, Flor. 1, prooem. 1.(al. usque in).— 3. With adverbs.
a. With inde:
pueritiae memoriam recordari ultimam, inde usque repetens, etc., Cic. Arch. 1, 1.—b. With antehac:
ut animus in spe usque antehac attentus fuit, Ita, etc., Ter. And. 2, 1, 3.—c. With adhuc:
quod occultatum'st usque adhuc nunc non potest, Plaut. Aul. 2, 3, 10: qui me tam leni passus animost usque adhuc facere, etc., Ter. And. 1, 5, 27: cessatum usque adhuc est, until now, hitherto, id. Ad. 4, 4, 23: qui mos usque adhuc est retentus, Cic. Rep. 2, 20, 35: usque adhuc certe animum meum probastis, Suet. Dom. 18; v. adhuc, II. A.—d. With eo:
tamen usque eo se tenuit, quoad, etc., Cic. Dejot. 4, 11: usque eo animadverti eum jocari, id. Rosc. Am. 22, 60; v. 2. eo, II. C.—e. With quaque, continually, always:
Chrusalus mihi usque quaque loquitur nec recte, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 83: usque quaque sapere oportet, Poët. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 16, 1; so, usque quaque, Cat. 39, 2; Plin. Ep. 7, 20, 2; 1, 7, 5; Gell. 16, 3, 1: usquequaque, de hoc cum dicemus, whenever, Cic. Att. 4, 9, 1.— Opp. nusquam: atque hoc non alienum est, quod ad multa pertineat, ne aut nusquam aut usquequaque dicatur, hic admonere, Cic. Inv. 2, 21, 63.—f. With dum:
usque dum regnum optinebit Juppiter, Plaut. Men. 5, 1, 28: conplebo familiam adeo usque satietatem dum capiet pater, id. Am. 1, 2, 9: usque id egi dudum, dum loquitur pater, Ter. Heaut. 5, 2, 30; Cato, R. R. 156: mihi quidem usque curae erit, quid agas, dum, quid egeris, sciero, Cic. Fam. 12, 19, 3; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 5, § 12; 2, 1, 6, § 16; Hor. C. 3, 30, 7; cf. dum, I. B. 1. b. —g. With interea:
nam usque dum ille vitam colet Inopem ... Interea usque illi de me supplicium dabo, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 84 sqq.—h. With donec:
ibo odorans quasi canis venaticus Usque donec persecutus volpem ero vestigiis, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 114. —k. With quoad:
usque illum, quoad ei nuntiatum esset consules descendisse, omnibus exclusis commentatum, etc., Cic. Brut. 22, 87: dandum ordeum, usque quoad erunt lactentes, Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 12.—1. With adeo:
usque adeo in periculo fuisse, quoad, etc., Cic. Sest. 38, 82; cf. Cato, R. R. 67: instare usque adeo, donec se adjurat, Plaut. Cist. 2, 3, 40; id. Rud. 3, 5, 32: usque adeo, dum, C. Gracch. ap. Gell. 10, 3, 5; cf. Plaut. Am. 1, 2, 10 sub f. supra.—m. With nunc (post-class.):
nunc usque, to this day, Amm. 14, 2, 12: usque nunc, Hier. Ep. 3, 87.—B. In other relations.
1. Of extent or degree, even to, quite up to, or as far as.
a. Absol.:
ego vapulando, ille verberando, usque ambo defessi sumus, Ter. Ad. 2, 2, 5 Fleck. (al. verberando usque, ambo: incerta est distinctio, Don. ad loc.): poenasque dedit usque superque (= usque eo quod satis esset), Hor. S. 1, 2, 65.—b. With ad:
usque ad ravim poscam, Plaut. Aul. 2, 5, 10: usque ad necem, Ter. And. 1, 2, 28: hoc malum usque ad bestias perveniat, Cic. Rep. 1, 43, 67: usque ad eum finem, dum, etc., Cic. Verr. 1, 6, 16; v. dum: assenserunt consules designati, omnes etiam consulares usque ad Pompeium, up to, i. e. except Pompey, Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 20.—c. With adeo:
undique totis Usque adeo turbatur agris, to so great an extent, Verg. E. 1, 12.—d. With terminal adverbs:
Anco regi familiaris est factus (sc. L. Tarquinius) usque eo, ut, etc., Cic. Rep. 2, 20, 35; v. eo, under is fin.: usque quo non vis subici mihi? how long? Vulg. Exod. 10, 3; cf. quousque.—2. Right on, always, without stop, continuously, constantly, incessantly: Ep. Ne abeas, priusquam ego ad te venero. Ap. Usque opperiar, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 122:
Ctesipho me pugnis miserum Usque occidit, Ter. Ad. 4, 2, 20: an usque In nostrum jacies verba superba caput? Prop. 2, 8, 16: cantantes licet usque, minus via laedit, eamus, Verg. E. 9, 64; cf.: nec vidisse semel satis est, juvat usque morari, id. A. 6, 487: naturam expelles furcā, tamen usque recurret, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 24.—Repeated: allatres licet usque nos et usque, Mart. 5, 60, 1: ergo, qui prius usque et usque et usque Furum scindere podices solebam, Auct. Priap. 78.—3. Esp.: usque quāque (less correctly as one word, usquequaque), in every thing, on every occasion:
nolite usque quaque idem quaerere, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 5, § 10: an hoc usque quaque, aliter in vitā? id. Fin. 5, 30, 91 Madv. ad loc.: et id usquequaque quantum sit appareat, in each particular, id. Or. 22, 73; Plin. Ep. 7, 12, 5: religionum usque quaque contemptor, praeter unius Deae Syriae, Suet. Ner. 56 init.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
ūsque adv.,
all the way, right on, without interruption, continuously, even: usque a mari supero Romam proficisci: usque a rubro mari, N.: Dardaniam Siculo prospexit ab usque Pachyno, V.: usque ex ultimā Syriā navigare: usque ad castra hostium accessit, Cs.: cum ad eum usque in Pamphyliam legatos misissent: trans Alpes usque transfertur: usque sub ora, O.: usque istinc.— With acc of place, all the way to, as far as, to (implying entrance): theatrum ita resonans, ut usque Romam voces referantur: Miletum usque? obsecro, T.—With quāque (less correctly as one word, usquequaque), in every place, everywhere: aut undique religionem tolle, aut usque quāque conserva. —Of time, all the time, continually, perpetually, all the while, as long as, until: Progeniem nostram usque ab avo proferens, T.: opinio iam usque ab heroicis ducta temporibus, from as far back as: usque a Thale Milesio: deinceps retro usque ad Romulum, as far as: inde usque repetens, etc.: usque antehac, T.: usque adhuc, even till now: tamen usque eo se tenuit, quoad, etc.: usque id egi dudum, dum loquitur pater, T.: iacet res in controversiis, usque dum inveniretur: usque quoad: usque adeo in periculo fuisse, quoad, etc. —Right on, without intermission, continuously, constantly, incessantly: Ctesipho me pugnis miserum Usque occidit, T.: Cantantes licet usque, minus via laedit, eamus, V.: Naturam expelles furcā, tamen usque recurret, H.—With quāque (less correctly as one word, usquequaque), continually, always, at all times: usque quaque, de hoc cum dicemus, every time: ne aut nusquam aut usque quaque dicatur, hic admonere, at all times. —Of extent or degree, even to, quite up to, as far as: Ego vapulando, ille verberando, usque ambo defessi sumus, T.: poenas dedit usque superque (i. e. usque eo quod satis esset), H.: usque ad eum finem, dum, etc.: undique totis Usque adeo turbatur agris, to so great an extent, V.: Anco regi familiaris est factus (Tarquinius) usque eo, ut, etc.—With quāque (less correctly as one word, usquequaque), in every thing, on every occasion: nolite usque quaque idem quaerere: et id usque quaque quantum sit appareat, in each particular.
ūsque quāque see usque.
Origins
From Proto-Italic *ū̆skʷe, from Proto-Indo-European *úds-kʷe, from *úd-s (“out, outward”, genitive) + *-kʷe (“and”). Cognate with Sanskrit उच्चा (uccā́), Younger Avestan 𐬎𐬯𐬗𐬀 (usca, “up, out”), Russian вы- (vy-, “out from”), Proto-Germanic *ūt, English out.