cauto

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Italian

Etymology

From Latin cautus, derived from caveō (to beware, avoid).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkaw.to/
  • Rhymes: -awto
  • Hyphenation: càu‧to

Adjective

cauto (feminine cauta, masculine plural cauti, feminine plural caute)

  1. prudent, cautious, sly
    Synonyms: accorto, attento, circospetto, guardingo, prudente
    Antonyms: arrischiato, avventato, azzardato, imprudente, incauto, inconsulto, sconsiderato
    • 1300s–1310s, Dante Alighieri, “Canto XVI”, in Inferno [Hell]‎, lines 118–120; republished as Giorgio Petrocchi, editor, La Commedia secondo l'antica vulgata [The Commedia according to the ancient vulgate]‎, 2nd revised edition, Florence: publ. Le Lettere, 1994:
      Ahi quanto cauti li uomini esser dienno
      presso a color che non veggion pur l'ovra,
      ma per entro i pensier miran col senno!
      Ah me! how very cautious men should be with those who not alone behold the act, but with their wisdom look into the thoughts!
    • 13491353, Giovanni Boccaccio, “Giornata quarta – Novella terza”, in Decameron; republished as Aldo Francesco Massera, editor, Il Decameron, Bari: Laterza, 1927:
      La Maddalena, [] per un cauto ambasciadore gli significò, sé essere presta ad ogni suo comandamento
      Maddalena signified to him by a prudent messenger that she was at his commandment in everything
    • 1825, “Libro XXIII [Book 23]”, in Vincenzo Monti, transl., Iliade [Iliad]‎, Milan: Giovanni Resnati e Gius. Bernardoni di Gio, translation of Ῑ̓λιάς (Īliás) by Homer, published 1840, page 496, lines 450–453:
      [] infranto
      N'andrebbe il carro, offesi i corridori,
      E tu deriso e di disnor coperto.
      Sii dunque saggio e cauto.
      The chariot would be destroyed, the racers hurt, and you mocked and dishonoured/dishonored. Be therefore wise and cautious.
    • 1835, Giacomo Leopardi with Alessandro Donati, “V. A un vincitore nel pallone”, in Canti, Bari: Einaudi, published 1917, page 26, lines 43–46:
      [] pochi Soli
      forse fien vòlti, e le cittá latine
      abiterá la cauta volpe, e l’atro
      bosco mormorerá fra le alte mura
      perhaps only a few suns will turn, and the sly fox will inhabit Latin cities, and the dark woods’ murmuring surround the high walls

Derived terms

Anagrams

Latin

Pronunciation

Noun

cautō

  1. dative/ablative singular of cautum

Portuguese

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin cautus, past participle of cavēre.[1][2] Doublet of couto.

Pronunciation

 

  • Rhymes: -awtu
  • Hyphenation: cau‧to

Adjective

cauto (feminine cauta, masculine plural cautos, feminine plural cautas)

  1. cautious
    Synonyms: cauteloso, prudente

References

  1. ^ cauto”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 20032024
  2. ^ cauto”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 20082024

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin cautus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkauto/
  • Rhymes: -auto
  • Syllabification: cau‧to

Adjective

cauto (feminine cauta, masculine plural cautos, feminine plural cautas)

  1. cautious
    Synonym: cauteloso

Further reading