I.the sea-shore, seaside, beach, strand (opp. ripa, the bank of a river: ora, the coast of the sea; cf. Ov. M. 1, 37 sqq.; Verg. A. 3, 75): “litus est, quousque maximus fluctus a mari pervenit,” Dig. 50, 16, 96: “solebat Aquilius quaerentibus, quid esset litus, ita definire: qua fluctus eluderet,” Cic. Top. 7, 32: “quid est tam commune quam ... litus ejectis,” id. Rosc. Am. 26, 72: “litus tunditur undā,” Cat. 11, 4: “praetervolare litora,” Hor. Epod. 16, 40: “Circaeae raduntur litora terrae,” Verg. A. 7, 10: “petere,” Ov. M. 2, 844: “intrare,” id. ib. 14, 104: “sinuosum legere,” Val. Fl. 2, 451: “litoris ora,” Verg. A. 3, 396; cf. id. G. 2, 44.—Prov.: “litus arare,” i. e. to labor in vain, take useless pains, Ov. Tr. 5, 4, 48; so, “litus sterili versamus aratro,” Juv. 7, 49: in litus harenas fundere, to pour sand on the sea-shore, i. e. to add to that of which there is already an abundance, Ov. Tr. 5, 6, 44.—
II. Transf.
B. The shore of a lake: “Trasimeni litora,” Sil. 15, 818: “Larium litus,” Cat. 35, 4; Plin. Ep. 9, 7.—
C. The bank of a river: “hostias constituit omnes in litore,” Cic. Inv. 2, 31, 97: “viridique in litore conspicitur sus,” Verg. A. 8, 83: “percussa fluctu litora,” id. E. 5, 83.—
D. Land situated on the sea-side: “cui litus arandum dedimus,” Verg. A. 4, 212: “electione litorum,” Tac. H. 3, 63.
