lātus, a, um, adj. [old Lat. stlātus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 313; Sanscr. root star-, strnāmi = sterno; Gr. στορ- in στόρνυμι, στρατός; Lat. sterno, stratus, torus; cf. strāges, struo; not connected with πλατύς, nor with 3. lātus = τλητός], broad, wide.
I Lit.: fossa, Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 59: mare, id. Verr. 2, 4, 46, § 103: via, id. ib. 2, 4, 53, § 119: agri, id. Rep. 5, 2, 3: clavus, Quint. 11, 3, 138 (v. clavus): umeri, Verg. A. 9, 725; cf.: artus barbarorum, Tac. A. 2, 21: lati et lacertosi viri, broad-shouldered , Col. 1, 9, 4; Cic. Rep. 6, 20, 21: rana bove latior, Phaedr. 1, 24, 5: palus non latior pedibus quinquaginta, Caes. B. G. 7, 19: latissimum flumen, id. ib. 2, 27: latissimae solitudines, id. ib. 6, 22: comesse panem tris pedes latum, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 1, 8: fossae quindecim pedes latae, Caes. B. G. 7, 72: areas latas pedum denum facito, Col. 2, 10, 26: populi, Verg. A. 1, 225: moenia lata videt, id. ib. 6, 549: latis otia fundis, id. G. 2, 468: ne latos fines parare studeant. Caes. B. G. 6, 21: ager, Liv. 23, 46: orbis, Hor. C. 1, 12, 57: terrae, Ov. M. 2, 307: lata Polyphemi acies, wide eye , Juv. 9, 64.— Neutr. absol. : crescere in latum, to increase in width, widen , Ov. M. 1, 336.— Absol. : per latum, Vulg. Ezech. 46, 22: in lato pedum centum, Lampr. Alex. Sev. 26, 7.—
B Transf., poet., for proud, swelling (cf. Eng. vulg. spreading ): latus ut in circo spatiere, that you may stalk along largely, proudly , Hor. S. 2, 3, 183: lati incesserunt et cothurnati (histriones), Sen. Ep. 76, 31. —
II Trop.
A In gen., broad, wide, wide-spread, extended (mostly post-Aug.): vox, Quint. 11, 3, 82; cf.: verba, pronounced broadly , Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 46: gloria, widespread , Plin. Ep. 4, 12, 7: lato Murrus caligat in hoste, Sil. 1, 499: interpretatio, broad, not strict, lenient , Dig. 22, 1, 1: culpa, great , ib. 50, 16, 213; 11, 6, 1 fin. : fuga, a kind of banishment, whereby all places are forbidden to the exile but one , ib. 48, 22, 5.—
B In partic., of style, diffuse, detailed, copious, prolix : oratio Academicorum liberior et latior (opp. Stoicorum oratio astrictior et contractior), Cic. Brut. 31, 120: latum atque fusum, Quint. 11, 3, 50: latiore varioque tractatu, id. 7, 3, 16: latiore quadam comprehensione, id. 2, 5, 14: genus orandi latum et sonans, Tac. H. 1, 90: Aeschines his latior et audentior, Quint. 12, 10, 23.— Hence, adv.: lātē , broadly, widely, extensively; with longe, on all sides, far and wide, everywhere .
1 Lit.: late longeque diffusus, Cic. Leg. 1, 12, 34: omnibus longe lateque aedificiis incensis, Caes. B. G. 4, 35: minus late vagari, id. ib. 1, 2: regnare, Just. 13, 7: populus late rex, Verg. A. 1, 21; cf.: diu Lateque victrix, Hor. C. 4, 4, 23: cladem inferre, Tac. H. 3, 23.— Comp. : latius demum operaest pretium ivisse, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 156: itaque latius quam caedebatur ruebat (murus), Liv. 21, 11: possidere (agros), Ov. M. 5, 131: metui, Tac. A. 12, 43. — Sup. : ager latissime continuatus, Cic. Agr. 2, 26, 70: quam latissime possint, ignes faciant, Nep. Eum. 9, 3.—
2 Trop.: ars late patet, widely . Cic. de Or. 1, 55, 235: Phrygiae late refer primordia gentis, Ov. H. 17, 57.— Comp. : latius loquuntur rhetores, dialectici compressius, Cic. Fin. 2, 6, 17: quod pateat latius, of rather extensive application , Cic. Off. 3, 4, 19: latius perscribere, Caes. B. C. 2, 17: uti opibus, more lavishly , Hor. S. 2, 2, 113.— Sup. : fidei bonae nomen latissime manat, Cic. Off. 3, 17, 70: latissime patere, id. ib. 3, 17, 69.