I.crooked, not straight, distorted, misshapen, deformed (opp. rectus; class.).
I. Lit.: “prava, cubantia, prona, supina atque absona tecta,” Lucr. 4, 517: “si quae in membris prava, aut debilitata aut imminuta sunt,” Cic. Fin. 5, 17, 46: “talus,” Hor. S. 1, 3, 48.—Absol.: in pravum, into crookedness (post-Aug.): “elapsi in pravum artus,” Tac. H. 4, 81: “quae in pravum induruerunt,” Quint. 1, 3, 12.—
II. Trop., perverse, irregular, improper, wrong, vicious, bad (syn.: improbus, malus, nequam).
A. Of living beings: “pravus factus est,” Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 8: “impulsores,” Tac. H. 4, 68: “pravissimus homo,” Vell. 2, 80, 3: “quae belua ruptis, Cum semel effugit, reddit se prava catenis? i. e. stulta, incauta,” Hor. S. 2, 7, 71.—
(β).
With gen. (poet.): “pravus fidei,” faithless, Sil. 3, 253: “pravus togae,” id. 8, 260: “audendi pravus,” id. 12, 464.—
B. Of things: “nihil pravum, perversum,” Cic. Rosc. Com. 10, 30: “affectio,” id. Tusc. 4, 13, 29: “dociles imitandis Turpibus et pravis omnes sumus,” Juv. 14, 40: “a rectis in vitia, a vitiis in prava, a pravis in praecipitia pervenitur,” Vell. 2, 10, 1: “ad honesta, seu prava juxta levis,” Tac. A. 11, 33: “aemulatio,” id. H. 4, 48: “spes,” id. A. 3, 56.—Comp.: quo pravius nihil esse possit, Cic. Tusc. 3, 33, 80.—Sup.: “pravissima consuetudinis regula,” Cic. Brut. 74, 258.—Absol.: in pravum, in perversity: “frangas citius, quam corrigas, quae in pravum induruerunt,” Quint. 1, 3, 12.—Hence, adv.: prāvē , crookedly; trop., improperly, wrongly, amiss, ill, badly (opp. recte; “class.): hoc mihi videtur factum prave,” Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 24: “prave (facta), opp. recte facta,” Cic. Ac. 1, 10, 37: “ille porro male, prave, nequiter, turpiter cenabat,” id. Fin. 2, 8, 25: “prave sectus unguis,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 104: “sive ego prave, Seu recte hoc volui,” id. S. 2, 3, 87: “prave facti versus,” id. Ep. 2, 1, 266: “pudens prave,” id. A. P. 88: “prave aliquid intellegere,” Plin. 17, 9, 8, § 57: “prave detorta verba,” Tac. A. 6, 5: “facundus,” id. ib. 1, 53: “prave et perperam appellare,” Gell. 4, 9, 4.—Sup.: pravissume, Sall. Or. Lepidi adv. Sull.