I.good, proper, serviceable, excellent, superior, able; esp. in a moral point of view, upright, honest, honorable, excellent, virtuous, etc. (class.).
A. Of persons: “frugi et probum esse,” Plaut. Most. 1, 2, 53: “probum patrem esse oportet, qui gnatum suom esse probiorem, quam ipsus fuerit, postulat,” id. Ps. 1, 5, 23: “cantores probos,” skilful, excellent, fine, id. ib. 3, 132: “faber,” id. Poen. 4, 2, 93: “architectus,” id. Mil. 3, 3, 40: “artifex,” Ter. Phorm. 2, 1, 29: “lena,” Plaut. Truc. 2, 1, 14: “amator,” id. ib. 20: “ad aliquam rem,” fit, id. Poen. 3, 3, 67. —
2. In partic., well-behaved, well-conducted: “quam cives vero rumificant probam,” Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 46: “proba et modesta (mulier),” Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 7.—
B. Of things abstr. and concr.: “affer huc duas clavas, sed probas,” Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 20: “argentum,” id. Pers. 4, 3, 57: “nummi,” id. ib. 3, 3, 33: “materies,” id. Poen. 4, 2, 93: “occasio,” id. Cas. 5, 4, 2: “navigium,” Cic. Ac. 2, 31, 100: “res,” id. Or. 51, 170: “ager,” Col. Arbor. 3, 6: “sapor,” id. ib. 3, 7?? color, id. ib. 8, 2.—Prov.: “proba merx facile emtorem reperit,” the best goods sell themselves, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 129; cf.: probae fruges suāpte naturā enitent, Acc. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 5, 13.—As subst.: prŏbus , i, a good, worthy, upright man: “poëta peccat, cum probi orationem adfingit improbo stultove sapienti,” Cic. Or. 22, 74.—Adv., in two forms.
A. Form prŏbē , rightly, well, properly, fitly, opportunely, excellently (class.): “milites armati atque animati probe,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 18: “aedes factae probe,” id. Most. 1, 2, 19?? probe lepideque concinnatus, id. Men. 3, 2, 1: “usque adhuc actum est probe,” id. Mil. 2, 6, 107: “probe curare aliquid,” id. Rud. 2, 3, 50: “satis scite et probe,” id. Trin. 3, 3, 56: “narras,” Ter. And. 5, 6, 6: “intellegere,” id. Eun. 4, 6, 30: “Antipater, quem tu probe meministi,” Cic. de Or. 3, 50, 194: “de aquaeductu probe fecisti,” id. Att. 13, 6, 1: “scire,” id. Fam. 2, 12, 2: “exercitus satis probe ornatus auxiliis,” id. ib. 2, 10, 2: “illud probe judicas,” id. Att. 7, 3, 3: “de Servio probe dicis,” id. Brut. 41, 151; id. Off. 1, 19, 62: “scire,” id. Brut. 2, 12; Liv. 22, 15.—
2. Transf., in gen., well, fitly, thoroughly, very, very much, greatly, finely, capitally, bravely (syn.: “plane, omnino, sine dubio): appotus probe,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 126: “percutere aliquem,” id. ib. 1, 1, v. 162: “decipere,” id. ib. 1, 1, v. 268: “errare,” id. ib. 3, 3, 20: “vide, ut sit acutus culter probe,” id. Mil. 5, 4: “tui similis est probe,” Ter. Heaut. 5, 3, 18: “perdocta est probe,” id. ib. 2, 3, 120. —In responses, as a token of applause, well done! good! bravo! unde agis te? Ca. Unde homo ebrius. Philo. Probe, Plaut. Most. 1, 4, 28: miles concubinam intro abiit oratum suam, ab se ut abeat. Acr Eu, probe! id. Mil. 4, 4, 9: “probissime,” very well, Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 65; id. Eun. 4, 7, 3.—
B. Form prŏbĭter , well, fitly, capitally (ante-class.), Varr. ap. Non. 510, 29; cf. Prisc. p. 1010.
