vetus

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

vĕtus: ĕris (ante-class. collat. form of the
I nom. sing. vĕter, Enn. and Att. ap. Prisc. p. 607 P.; cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 2 Müll.; abl. regularly, vetere; but veteri, Juv. 6, 121; Stat. Th. 1, 360; 11, 582; 13, 374; comp. class. vetustior; archaic form veterior), adj. Sanscr. vatsas, year; Gr. ἔτος, ϝετος.
I Adj.
   A Old (opp. young), aged: Acherunticus senex, vetus, decrepitus, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 20: novus amator, vetus puer, id. ib. 5, 4, 15: poëta, Ter. Heaut. prol. 22: veteres ac moris antiqui memores, Liv. 42, 27, 4: veteres et sancti viri, Sall. H. 2, 23, 5 Dietsch: parentes, Verg. A. 5, 576: pecudes, Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 2: gallinae, Plin. 10, 53, 74, § 146; Col. 8, 5, 14: laurus, Verg. A. 2, 513: caput, Tib. 1, 8, 42. —
   B Old (opp. new), of long standing: quam veterrumu'st, tam homini optimu'st amicus, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 71: maceria, id. ib. 2, 2, 50: Antemna veterior est Romā, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 716 P. (Orig. 1, fr. 25): quod si veteris contumeliae oblivisci vellet; num etiam recentium injuriarum memoriam deponere posse? Caes. B. G. 1, 14: invidia et infamia non recens, sed vetus ac diuturna, Cic. Verr. 1, 2, 5: vetus atque usitata exceptio, id. de Or. 1, 37, 168: sphaerae illius vetus esse inventum, id. Rep. 1, 14, 22: amici veteres (opp. novi), id. Lael. 18, 67: veterrima (amicitia), id. ib.: naves, Caes. B. G. 5, 15: nobilitas, Sall. J. 85, 4: consuetudo, id. C. 23, 3: provinciae, Liv. 21, 44, 7; 28, 39, 8.—Esp., of soldiers, veteran, experienced: ille exercitatus et vetus (miles), Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38; cf. exercitus, id. ib.; Caes. B. C. 1, 3; Liv. 41, 8, 5: copiae, Caes. B. G. 1, 27: milites, id. ib. 6, 40; Liv. 26, 41, 2: legiones, id. 27, 8, 15: centuriones, id. 4, 17, 10.—With gen. (post-Aug.): gnaros belli veteresque laborum, Sil. 4, 532: militiae, Tac. H. 4, 20: regnandi, id. A. 6, 44: scientiae et caerimoniarum, id. ib. 6, 12: operis ac laboris, id. ib. 1, 20: armorum, Sil. 17, 297.—With inf. (poet.): hinc Fadum petit et veterem bellare Labicum, Sil. 5, 565.—
   C Old, of a former time (opp. present, existing), former, earlier, ancient, etc. (cf. antiquus): veterem atque antiquam rem novam ad vos proferam, Plaut. Am. prol. 118: historia vetus atque antiqua, id. Trin. 2, 2, 100 Brix ad loc.: credendum est veteribus et priscis, ut aiunt, viris, Cic. Univ. 11: veterrimi poëtae Stoici, id. N. D. 1, 15, 41: multo vetustior et horridior ille (Laelius) quam Scipio, archaic, antiquated, id. Brut. 21, 83: in veterem revoluta figuram, Verg. A. 6, 449: fama veterum malorum, id. ib. 6, 527: injuria, Phaedr. 1, 21, 6.—
II Substt.
   A vĕtĕres, um, m., the ancients, men of a former time, the fathers, ancestors, forefathers: majores nostri, veteres illi, admodum antiqui, leges annales non habebant, Cic. Phil. 5, 17, 47.—Esp., of ancient authors, etc.: nostri veteres, Plin. 36, 7, 12, § 59: quae veteres factitarunt, Ter. Eun. prol. 43: omnes veteres et Cicero praecipue, Quint. 9, 3, 1; cf. id. 5, 4, 1: antiqui veteres, Front. Ep. ad Amic. 1, 5.—
   B vĕtĕres, um, f. (sc. tabernae), the old booths on the south side of the Forum Romanum (opp. Novae, v. novus): sub Veteribus, Plaut. Curc. 4, 1, 19; Liv. 44, 16, 10; Plin. 35, 4, 8, § 25.—
   C vĕtĕra, um, n., the old, old things, antiquity (opp. praesentia): vetera semper in laude, praesentia in fastidio, Tac. Or. 18; cf. id. ib. 15: si vetera mihi ignota (sunt), Cic. Sull. 18, 51: vetera omittere, to leave out of consideration, Sall. J. 102, 14: vetera odisse, nova optare, id. C. 37, 3: vetera scrutari, traditions, Cic. Tusc. 1, 13, 29. —Prov.: vetera vaticinamini, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 129 Lorenz ad loc.