răpĭdus, a, um, adj. [rapio], tearing away, seizing.
I Lit. (very rare, and only poet.): ferae, Ov. H. 10, 96; 11, 111 (but in Lucr. 4, 712, the correct read. is rabidi leones).—Of hunting-dogs: agmen, a tearing , fierce pack , Ov. M. 3, 242; cf. Lucr. 5, 890. —Of fierce , consuming heat: aestus, Verg. E. 2, 10: sol, id. G. 1, 92: Sirius, id. ib. 4, 425: flamma, Ov. M. 2, 123: ignis, Verg. G. 4, 263; Ov. M. 7, 326; 8, 225; 12, 274.— Of a consuming pyre, Ov. Tr. 1, 7, 20.—As epithet of the sea (qs. devouring ), Tib. 1, 2, 40 (al. rabidus).—
II Transf., tearing or hurrying along , swift , quick , rapid (the predom. and class. signif.; esp. freq. in the poets).
1 Of waters: fluvius, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 52; id. Men. prol. 64 sq.: torrens, Verg. A. 2, 305: amnis, Hor. S. 1, 10, 62; Lucr. 1, 14: flumen, Caes. B. C. 1, 50; Hor. S. 2, 3, 242; Tib. 1, 2, 44 Huschk. N. cr.; Quint. 6, 2, 6 al.; cf.: lapsus fluminum (along with celeres venti), Hor. C. 1, 12, 9: Tigris, id. ib. 4, 14, 46: procellae, Prop. 2, 16 (3, 8), 45: undae (as a mere epitheton ornans), Ov. M. 7, 6.— Sup. : flumen, Caes. B. C. 1, 50 fin. —
2 Of other hurrying, rapidly moving things: turbo, Lucr. 6, 668; cf. venti, Verg. A. 6, 75: Notus, Hor. C. 1, 28, 21: ignis Jovis, Verg. A. 1, 42: sol, Hor. C. 2, 9, 12; cf.: axis (solis), Ov. F. 3, 518: orbis, id. M. 2, 73; and: caelum, Stat. Th. 1, 197: equi, Ov. F. 5, 592; cf.: volucris rapidissima, id. M. 2, 716: manus, Verg. A. 8, 442: currus, id. ib. 12, 478; cf. cursus, id. ib. 12, 683: agmen, Tac. H. 2, 30; cf. Verg. A. 11, 906: bella, Claud. Cons. Stil. 1, 188: impetus, Flor. 4, 7, 12: venenum, i. e. quickworking , Tac. A. 12, 67; so, virus, id. ib. 13, 15 fin. : pestis, Sil. 7, 351: vires, id. 4, 678. —
B Trop., hurried , impetuous , vehement , hasty : oratio, Cic. Fin. 2, 1, 3: rapidus in consiliis, over-hasty , precipitate , Liv. 22, 12 fin. : rapidus proelia miscet, Sil. 1, 266: rapidus in urbem vectus, Tac. H. 2, 54.— Hence, adv.: răpĭdē , acc. to II., hurriedly , hastily , quickly , rapidly : dilapsus (fluvius), Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 6: iter confecit (along with festinanter), Suet. Calig. 43.— Comp. : eo rapidius ... venit Rigodulum, Tac. H. 4, 71.—Trop.: quod (παθητικόν) cum rapide fertur, sustineri nullo pacto potest, Cic. Or. 37, 128.