līmo, āvi, ātum (arch. limassis, for limaveris, Caecil. Com. 140), 1, v. a. lima, to file. Lit.: gemmis scalpendis atque limandis, Plin. 36, 7, 10, § 54.

— Transf. To file off: plumbum limatum, lead-filings, Plin. 34, 18, 50, § 168: limata scobs, id. ib.: cornum limatum lima lignaria, Scrib. 141: acumen ossis, Cels. 8, 10, 7.

— To rub, whet: cornu ad saxa limato, Plin. 8, 20, 29, § 71; hence, limare caput cum aliquo, to kiss, Plaut. Merc. 3, 1, 40; id. Poen. 1, 2, 82.

— Trop. In gen., to file, polish, finish: quaedam institui, quae limantur a me politius, Cic. Ac. 1, 1, 2: stilus hoc maxime ornat ac limat, id. de Or. 3, 49, 190: ut ars aliquid limare non possit, id. ib. 1, 25, 115: vir nostrorum hominum urbanitate limatus, id. N. D. 2, 29, 74.

— In partic. To investigate accurately, to clear of every thing superfluous: veritas ipsa limatur in disputatione, Cic. Off. 2, 10, 35: subtiliter mendacium, Phaedr. 3, 10, 49.

— Cum se ipse consulto ad minutarum causarum genera limaverit, has prepared one's self thoroughly for, Cic. Opt. Gen. Or. 3, 9.

— To file off, take away from, diminish: tantum alteri affinxit, de altero limavit, Cic. de Or. 3, 9, 36: de tua prolixa beneficaque natura limavit aliquid posterior annus, id. Fam. 3, 8, 8: commoda alicujus, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 38: multum inde decoquent anni, multum ratio limabit, Quint. 2, 4, 7.

—Hence, līmātus, a, um, P. a., polished, refined, elegant, fine, accurate: vir oratione maxime limatus, Cic. de Or. 1, 39, 180: jure madens, varioque togae limatus in usu, Mart. 7, 51, 5: pressum limatumque genus dicendi, Quint. 2, 8, 4; 11, 1, 3: Attici, id. 12, 10, 17.

—Comp.: limatius dicendi genus, Cic. Brut. 24, 93: comis et urbanus fuerit limatior idem, Hor. S. 1, 10, 65: limatius ingenium, Plin. Ep. 1, 20, 21.

—Hence, adv.: līmātē, finely, elegantly, accurately; comp.: limatius scriptum, Cic. Fin. 5, 5, 12: limatius quaerere, Amm. 15, 13, 2.