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II. generally, sharp to the sense:

1. of taste, pungent, ῥίζα Il.11.846; ἅλμη Od.5.323; δάκρυον (v.l. for πυκνόν) 4.153; of salt water, opp. γλυκύς, Hdt.4.52, cf. 7.35; ἁλμυρὸς καὶ π. Pl.Lg.705a; πριγλία π. PCair.Zen.82.8 (iii B.C.); ἀπ' ὄμφακος πικρᾶς A.Ag.970; ὑγρότης π., opp. ὀξεῖα, Meno Iatr.5.13; also of smell, pungent, Od.4.406; πικρὸν ὀδωδώς Alciphr. 3.59. (This sense prevails in the derived and compd. words.)

2. of feeling, sharp, keen, ὠδῖνες Il.11.271, S.Tr.41.

3. of sound, piercing, shrill, οἰμωγά Id.Ph.189 (lyr.); φθόγγος Id.OC1610; γόοι, ὄδυρμα, E.Ph.883, Tr.1227 (lyr.); πικροτάτη ὄψ Ar.Pax805 (lyr.).

III. metaph.,

1. of things, bitter, esp. of what yields pain instead of expected pleasure, freq. in threats, μὴ τάχα πικρὴν Αἴγυπτον καὶ Κύπρον ἵκηαι (v.l. ἴδηαι) Od.17.448, cf. Ar.Av.1045, Th.883 (lyr.), E.Med.399, IA955, Ba.357, Cyc.589; π. Σίγειον κατηγόμην S.Ph.355; τὸ πὰρ δίκαν γλυκὺ πικροτάτα μένει τελευτά Pi.I.7(6).48, cf. A.Ag.745 (lyr.); τιμωρία, ἀγῶνες, Id.Pers.473, S.Aj.1239; δύαι, χεῖμα, A.Pr. 180 (lyr.), Ag.198 (lyr.); πικρότερ' ἀχέων Id.Supp. 875 (lyr.); λόγοι E.Hel.481; πικροτάτου χρυσοῦ φύλαξ Id.Hec.772; τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον γλυκὺ πικρῷ μεμειγμένον Pl.Phlb.46c; ἔχει τι τὸ π. τῆς γεωργίας γλυκύ Men.795: c. inf., μὴ λίαν πικρὸν εἰπεῖν ᾖ D.1.26.

2. so of persons, prob. in Sapph.Supp.4.1 (Comp.); γλυκὺν ὧδε φίλοις ἐχθροῖσι δὲ π. Sol.13.5, cf. Thgn.301, A.Ch.234, Eu.152 (lyr.), etc.; ἔς τινας Hdt.1.123: abs., A.Pr.739, Th940(lyr.); π. θεοῖς hateful to them, S.Ph.254; π. πολίταις E.Med.224, cf. Supp.1222; ἐμοὶ π. τέθνηκεν ἢ κείνοις γλυκύς his death is matter of sorrow to me, S.Aj.966; δαίμων π., of untimely death (Lat. acerbus), IG3.1338.

3. embittered, angry, πικρὰ ὄρνις S.Ant.423.

4. relentless, οὐδὲν πικρότερον τῆς ἀνάγκης Antipho 2.2.4; spiteful, mean, vindictive, βάσκανον καὶ πικρὸν καὶ κακόηθες οὐδέν ἐστι πολίτευμα ἐμόν D.18.108; π. καὶ συκοφάντης Id.25.45, cf. Arist.Rh.1368b21, EN1126a19: in Com. of old men, σκυθρός, π., φειδωλός Men.10, cf. 825, 843, Georg.Fr.3. Adv. -ρῶς pedantically, D.H.Lys.6; with rigid accuracy, Apollon.Cit.3, Plu.2.659f.

IV. Adv. -ρῶς harshly, bitterly, vindictively, A.Pr.197, S.OC990; π. ἐξετάσαι D.2.27, 18.265; π. ἔχειν τισί, πρός τινας, Id.10.54, Ep.3.10; π. φέρειν τι E.Ion610, cf. Andr.190; ἔκλαυσε π. Ev.Matt.26.75: Comp. -ότερον Men.Mon.659, etc.: Sup. -ότατα Plb.1.72.3. [ῑ in Hom. and Ep.; ῐ freq. in Trag., as A.Pers.473, Ag.970, S.Aj.500, E. Hec.772, and in Theoc.8.74: ι therefore is not long by nature as in μικρός.]