I. Of oakwood, oaken, oak-: “capitulum,” Cato, R. R. 18, 4: “stipites,” id. ib. 18, 8: “materia,” Varr. R. R. 1, 38, 3; Col. 2, 14, 6: “caudices,” Plin. 11, 37, 55, § 151: “stipites,” Liv. 38, 5: “fores,” Hor. C. 3, 16, 2: “plaustra,” id. Ep. 2, 2, 74 et saep.: carcer (referring to the Robur in the Roman carcer; “v. robur, II. A. 2.),” Plaut. Curc. 5, 3, 13; cf. “codex,” id. Poen. 5, 3, 39. —
II. Transf., hard, firm, solid, strong, hardy, lusty, robust (freq. and class.; syn.: valens, nervosus).
A. Lit.: “lapides,” Plin. 36, 22, 48, § 167: “cornua,” id. 11, 37, 45, § 125: “palmes,” id. 17, 22, 35, § 175: “cibus,” hearty, nourishing, Cels. 2, 18: “robustior cibus,” id. 2, 18: “triticum,” Col. 2, 9, 3; Plin. 18, 17, 46, § 166; 18, 30, 72, § 298: “robustissima terra,” Col. 2, 2, 17: “robustissimum solum,” id. 1, praef. § “24: robustissima oppida,” strongly fortified, Flor. 1, 12, 3. — “Esp. of persons: robusti et valentes satellites,” Cic. Agr. 2, 31, 84; cf.: “transit in aestatem post ver robustior annus, Fitque valens juvenis,” Ov. M. 15, 206: “usu atque aetate robustior,” Cic. Sull. 16, 47; cf. id. Phil. 5, 16, 43; id. Cat. 2, 9, 20: “robustiores vinum bibere, infirmiores aquam,” Plin. 27, 4, 10, § 27: “moderator aratri,” Lucr. 5, 933; 6, 1253; cf. “vires,” id. 3, 449: “puer acri militiā,” Hor. C. 3, 2, 2: “corpore amplo atque robusto,” Suet. Tib. 68: “robustissima juventus,” id. Ner. 20. —
B. Trop., firm, solid, strong, etc.: facilius quod est propositum consequar, si nostram rem, publicam vobis et nascentem et crescentem et adultam et jam firmam atque robustam ostendero, Cic. Rep. 2, 1, 3: “solidam et robustam et assiduam frequentiam praebuerunt,” id. Planc. 8, 21: “res vetustate robustas calumniando pervertere,” id. Div. 1, 18, 35; cf.: “robusta et solida eloquentia,” Quint. 10, 1, 2: “robusta et stabilis fortitudo,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 23, 51: “inveteratum (malum) fit plerumque robustius,” id. Phil. 5, 11, 31: “quae robustioris improbitatis,” id. ib. 2, 25, 63: “animus (with magna constantia),” id. Off. 1, 20, 67: “vox,” Plin. 7, 16, 17, § 76: “carmen,” Pers. 5, 5: “amicitiae exempla,” Val. Max. 4, 7, 2: “populus Romanus,” Flor. 2, 1, 1. — Adv.: rōbustē , stoutly, strongly, firmly, Naz. Pan. ad Constant. 17.— Comp., Aug. Conf. 8, 11.—Sup.: “robustissime,” Cassiod. Var. 12, 21.