vastus — Lewis & Short
vastus, a, um, adj.cf.: vanus, vacuus,
I empty, unoccupied, i.e. waste, desert.
I Lit. (so rare but class.;
syn.: vacuus, desertus): genus agrorum propter pestilentiam vastum atque desertum,Cic. Agr. 2, 26, 69:
lex erat lata vasto ac relicto foro,id. Sest. 24, 53:
agrum vastum ac desertum habere,Liv. 28, 11, 10:
vasta ac deserta urbs,id. 24, 3, 11; 28, 7, 12: vasta incendiis ruinisque urbs, id. 5, 53, 1:
mons vastus ab naturā et humano cultu,uncultivated, Sall. J. 48, 3:
urbs a defensoribus vasta,without, Liv. 23, 30, 7 (al. ex conj. vacua).—
B Trop. (the fig. taken from tracts of country lying waste or untilled), uncultivated, unpolished, rude, rough, harsh:
vultu motuque corporis vasti atque agrestes,Cic. de Or. 1, 25, 115:
vastus homo atque foedus,id. ib. 1, 25, 117:
vasti quidam et insubidi,Gell. 19, 9, 9:
fugiemus crebras vocalium concursiones, quae vastam atque hiantem orationem reddunt, ut hoc est: baccae aeneae amoenissimae impendebant,Auct. Her. 4, 12, 18:
omnia vasta ac temeraria esse,Liv. 24, 48, 7:
littera vastior,too harsh-sounding, Cic. Or. 45, 153.—
II Transf.
A Desolate, deserted: abs te viduae et vastae virgines sunt, made lonely, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 52 (Trag. v. 279 Vahl.):
dies per silentium vastus,Tac. A. 3, 4.—
B Wasted by destruction, laid waste, ravaged, devastated, destroyed (rare; cf.
vastatus): fit vasta Troja,Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 130:
jam hanc urbem ferro vastam faciet Peleus, Att. ap. Fest. pp. 372 and 373: haec ego vasta dabo,Verg. A. 9, 323:
nec solum modo vastum hosti relictum, sed castellis etiam vicisque illatus ignis,Liv. 10, 12, 8.—
C With the predom. idea of extent, vast, immense, enormous, huge, monstrous (syn.: ingens, immanis).
1 Of size: jamque fere pulvis ad caelum vasta videtur, Enn. ap. Non. 217, 11 (Ann. v. 286 Vahl.):
immani et vastae insidens beluae,Cic. Rep. 2, 40, 67:
vasta et immanis belua,id. Div. 1, 24, 49; cf.:
vastissimae beluae,id. Rep. 2, 26, 49: elephanto beluarum nulla prudentior;
ad figuram quae vastior?id. N. D. 1, 35, 97:
summa erat vasto atque aperto mari, difficultas navigandi,Caes. B. G. 3, 12; cf.:
in vastissimo atque apertissimo Oceano,id. ib. 3, 9, 7:
fossa vastissima,Cic. Rep. 2, 6, 11:
solitudines,id. ib. 2, 6, 19:
campi,Verg. A. 3, 13:
Charybdis,Lucr. 1, 722:
antiquus crater, quem vastum vastior ipse Sustulit Aegides,Ov. M. 12, 236:
antrum,Verg. A. 1, 52:
hiatus speluncae,id. ib. 6, 237:
suspectus turris,id. ib. 9, 530:
manus,Ov. F. 2, 322:
arma,Verg. A. 10, 768:
corpus,Col. 7, 12, 3.—
2 Transf., of degree, etc., immense, enormous, prodigious, vast, etc.:
iter,i.e. on the vast ocean, Ov. M. 14, 438:
certamen,Verg. A. 12, 553:
impetus,Hor. C. 4, 14, 30:
pugnae Cannensis clades vastissima,Gell. 5, 17, 5:
tempestas,Col. 2, 20, 5; cf.:
vapores vastissimi,id. 2, 20, 1:
clamor,Verg. A. 10, 716; Ov. M. 12, 494:
murmur,Verg. A. 1, 245:
latratus,Col. 7, 12, 3:
tonitru,Val. Fl. 1, 617:
pondus,Verg. A. 5, 447; Ov. H. 9, 88.—
3 Trop.:
vastus animus,i.e. insatiable, Sall. C. 5, 4.—Rarely with abstr. nouns:
quam vasta potentia nostra est,Ov. M. 2, 520:
varia vastaque scientia,Col. 1, pr. 28:
nefas,Sen. Herc. Oet. 767.—Adv.: vastē.
1 (Acc. to vastus, I. B.) Rudely, harshly:
loqui non aspere, non vaste, non rustice, etc.,Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45:
ne vastius diducantur verba,id. ib. 3, 43, 172.—
2 (Acc. to II. B.) Widely, vastly, immensely, violently, enormously:
vaste cedentia litora,Mel. 1, 1, 4:
vastius insurgens decimae ruit impetus undae,Ov. M. 11, 530:
vastius podagra correpti,Scrib. Comp. 107.