crassus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. kart-, to spin; cf.: crates, cartilago, etc.]; as opp. to flowing, thin, lean, delicate, etc., solid, thick, dense, fat, gross, etc. (freq. and class. in prose and poetry).
I Lit.: semina (opp. liquida), Lucr. 4, 1259; cf.: crassius semen, id. 4, 1244: corpus, id. 6, 857: unguentum, Hor. A. P. 375: paludes, Verg. G. 2, 110: cruor, id. A. 5, 469: aquae, greatly swollen , Ov. Am. 3, 6, 8: ager, Varr. R. R. 1, 24, 1; Cic. Fl. 29, 71; cf.: terga (agri), Verg. G. 2, 236: homo, Ter. Hec. 440: turdi, Mart. 2, 40: toga, Hor. S. 1, 3, 15; cf. filum, Cic. Fam. 9, 12, 2; Ov. H. 9, 77: restis, Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 38: digiti crassi tres, as a measure, Cato R. R. 40, 4.—
B Esp., of the atmosphere, thick, dense, heavy : aër crassus et concretus, Cic. Tusc. 1, 18, 42; cf.: crassissimus aër, id. N. D. 2, 6, 17: caelum Thebis (opp. tenue Athenis), id. Fat. 4, 7: Baeotum in crasso jurares aëre natum, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 244; Juv. 10, 50: caligo nubis, Lucr. 6, 461; cf.: caliginis aër Crassior, id. 4, 350 al.: vitrum crassiore visu, less transparent , Plin. 36, 26, 67, § 196.—
II Trop. (rare; not in Cic.): crassum infortunium, i. e. a sound beating , Plaut. Rud. 3, 5, 53: senes, stupid, dull , Varr. ap. Non. p. 86, 24: Ofellus Rusticus abnormis sapiens crassāque Minervā, i. e. dull, stolid , Hor. S. 2, 2, 3; cf.: crassiore ut vocant Musa, Quint. 1, 10, 28: turba, uncultivated , Mart. 9, 23: neglegentia, stupid, clumsy , Dig. 22, 6, 6: crassiora nomina, more rude or barbarous , Mart. 12, 18, 12; cf. Gell. 13, 20, 15.—Hence, adv.: crassē (rare; not in Cic.), thickly.
1 Lit.: picare vasa, Col. 12, 44, 5; cf. oblinere, Scrib. Comp. 46.—
2 Grossly, rudely : crasse illepideve compositum poëma (the figure taken from a coarse web), Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 76.—Of precious stones, not clearly, dimly ( comp. ), Plin. 37, 7, 31, § 106; 37, 8, 36, § 114.—Hence of the indistinct understanding of any thing, not clearly, confusedly : crasse et summatim et obscure intellegere aliquid, Sen. Ep. 121, 11.