Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

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.