χρῆμα
Alt. χρῆμα, ατος, τό,
Etym. χράομαι
I. "a thing that one uses" or needs: in pl. "goods, property, money, gear, chattels", Od., Hes., etc.; πρόβατα καὶ ἄλλα χρ. Xen.; κρείσσων χρημάτων superior "to money", i. e. incorruptible, Thuc.; χρημάτων ἀδωρότατος id=Thuc.:—rare in sg. in this sense, ἐπὶ κόσῳ χρήματι; for how much "money?" Answ. ἐπ᾽ οὐδενί, Hdt.
II. generally, "a thing, matter, affair, event", Hes., Hdt.; κινεῖν πᾶν χρῆμα "to leave no stone unturned, " Hdt.:—of a battle, "an affair", Plut.
2. χρῆμα is often expressed where it might be omitted, δεινὸν χρ. ἐποιεῦντο Hdt.; ἐς ἀφανὲς χρ. ἀποστέλλειν ἀποικίαν to send out a colony without any certain destination, id=Hdt.; τί χρῆμα; like τί; "what?" τί χρῆμα δρᾷς; Soph.; τί χρῆμα πάσχω; τί δ᾽ ἐστὶ χρῆμα; what is "the matter?" Aesch., etc.
3. used in periphrases to express something strange or extraordinary, μέγα συὸς χρῆμα a "monster" of a boar, Hdt.; τὸ χρ. τῶν νυκτῶν ὅσον what a terrible length the nights are, Ar.: λιπαρὸν τὸ χρ. τῆς πόλεως what a grand city! id=Ar.; κλέπτον τὸ χρ. τἀνδρός a thievish "sort" of fellow, id=Ar.; σοφόν τοι χρῆμ᾽ ἄνθρωπος truly a clever "creature" is he! Theocr.:—so, to express a great number, as we say, "a lot, a deal, a heap", πολλόν τι χρ. τῶν ὀφίων, χρ. πολλὸν νεῶν Hdt.; ὅσον τὸ χρ. παρνόπων what a "lot" of locusts! Ar.; ὅσον τὸ χρ. πλακοῦντος id=Ar.; τὸ χρ. τῶν κόπων ὅσον what a lot of them! id=Ar.; —also of persons, χρῆμα θηλειῶν woman "kind", Eur.; μέγα χρ. Λακαινᾶν Theocr.