rustĭcus, a, um, adj. [rus], of or belonging to the country, rural, rustic, country- (very freq. and class.; syn. agrestis; opp. urbanus).
I Lit.: vita, Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 1; cf.: vita haec rustica, quam tu agrestem vocas, Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: duae vitae hominum, rustica et urbana, id. ib. 17, 48: Romani (opp. urbani), Varr. R. R. 2, praef. § 1; cf. plebes (opp. urbana), Col. praef. § 17; praedia, Cic. Rosc. Am. 15, 42: hortus, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 15: instrumentum, Phaedr. 4, 4, 24: opus, Ter. Heaut. 142: res, Cic. de Or. 1, 16, 69; 1, 58, 249; Col. praef. § 19 sq.: homo (with agricola), Cic. Rosc. Am. 49, 143; id. N. D. 3, 5, 11: colona, Ov. F. 2, 645; cf. Phidyle, Hor. C. 3, 23, 2: mus (opp. urbanus), id. S. 2, 6, 80; 115: gallinae, heathcocks , Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 16; Col. 8, 2, 1 sq. (cf. infra, B. 2. b.): numina, Ov. M. 1, 192: fistula, id. ib. 8, 191: sedulitas, id. F. 6, 534: regna, id. H. 4, 132: opprobria versibus alternis, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 146: carcer, Juv. 14, 24.—
B Substt.
1 ru-stĭcus , i, m., a countryman , rustic , peasant; in plur.: rustici, country people , rustics : urbani fiunt rustici, etc., Plaut. Merc. 4, 3, 15 sq.: omnes urbani, rustici, Cic. Fin. 2, 23, 77; cf. id. Or. 24, 81; semper occant prius quam sarriunt rustici, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 5; id. Most. 5, 1, 28; Col. 2, 4, 8; 9, 10 et saep.—In sing., Ov. M. 2, 699; Hor. Epod. 2, 68; id. Ep. 1, 7, 83; 2, 2, 39; Vulg. Sap. 17, 16.—
2 rustĭca , ae, f.
a A country girl , Ov. M. 5, 583.—
b (Sc. gallina.) A heath-cock , Mart. 13, 76 (cf. supra, A., and rusticulus, II. B.).—
II Transf., countrylike , rustic , simple , in a good or (more freq.) in a bad sense, i. e. plain , simple , provincial , rough , coarse , gross , awkward , clownish , etc. (in this sense not freq. till after the Aug. period; previously, as in Cic., agrestis was more used): rustica vox et agrestis quosdam delectat, etc. ... neque solum rusticam asperitatem, sed etiam peregrinam insolentiam fugere discamus, Cic. de Or. 3, 11, 42; 12, 44: pro bardā et pro rusticā haberi, Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 2: rusticus inlitteratusque litigator, Quint. 2, 21, 16: manus (with indoctae), id. 1, 11, 16; cf. with indoctus, id. 12, 10, 53; with barbarus, id. 2, 20, 6; (opp. disertus) 7, 1, 43: id vitium sermonis non barbarum esse, sed rusticum, Gell. 13, 6, 2: Germana illuvies, rusticus, hircus, hara suis, etc., a lout , clown , Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 39 Lorenz ad loc.: rusticus es, Corydon, Verg. E. 2, 56: quid coeptum, rustice, rumpis iter? Ov. Am. 3, 6, 88: addidit obscenis convicia rustica dictis, id. M. 14, 522: sive procax aliqua est; capior, quia rustica non est, very prudish , id. Am. 2, 4, 13; cf. id. A. A. 1, 607: nec tamen est, quamvis agros amet illa feraces, Rustica, id. Am. 3, 10, 18.—In a good sense: mores, Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: veritas, Mart. 10, 72, 11. — Comp. : simus hoc titulo rusticiore contenti, Sen. Ep. 88, 33.—Hence, adv.: ru-stĭcē (acc. to II.), in a countrified manner , clownishly , boorishly , awkwardly : loquinon aspere, non vaste, non rustice, Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45: urgere, id. Off. 3, 9, 39: facere aliquid, id. Att. 12, 36, 2: cum eo vitio loquentes rustice loqui dictitabant, Gell. 13, 6, 2.— Comp. : rusticius toga defluit, Hor. S. 1, 3, 31.— Sup. does not occur.