sterno, strāvi, strātum, 3 (pluperf. sync. strarat, Manil. 1, 774: strasset, Varr. ap. Non. 86, 8), v. a. [Gr. root ΣΤΟΡ, στορέννυμι, to spread; στρατός, camp; Sanscr. star- strnāmi = sterno; cf.: strages, struo, torus, and lātus, adj., old Lat. stlatus], to spread out, spread abroad; to stretch out, extend.
I Lit. (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose; in Cic. only in the part. perf.; cf.: effundo, extendo, subicio, subdo): vestes, Ov. M. 8, 658: in duro vellus solo, id. F. 4, 654: bubulos utres ponte, Plin. 6, 29, 34, § 176: hic glarea dura Sternitur, Tib. 1, 7, 60: natas sub aequore virgas Sternit, i. e. scatters , strews , Ov. M. 4, 743: harenam, id. F. 3, 813; id. Am. 2, 14, 8: herbas, id. M. 7, 254: poma passim, Verg. E. 7, 54: spongeas ad lunam et pruinas, Plin. 31, 11, 47, § 123: arma per flores, Grat. Cyneg. 487: fessi sternunt corpora, stretch out their bodies , lie down , Liv. 27, 47, 9; cf.: sternunt se somno diversae in litore phocae, Verg. G. 4, 432.—Mid.: sternimur optatae gremio telluris, Verg. A. 3, 509; and: in Capitolinas certatim scanditur arces Sternunturque Jovi, Sil. 12, 340.— Part. perf. : strātus , a, um, stretched out , lying down , prostrate (syn. prostratus): strata terrae, Enn. ap. Non. 172, 20 (Trag. v. 370 Vahl.): nos humi strati, Cic. de Or. 3, 6, 22: quidam somno etiam strati, Liv. 37, 20, 5: ad pedes strati, Cic. Att. 10, 4, 3: stratum jacere et genua complecti, Quint. 6, 1, 34: nunc viridi membra sub arbuto Stratus, Hor. C. 1, 1, 21.—
2 Of places, to extend : insulae Frisiorum, Chaucorum, etc. ... sternuntur inter Helium ac Flevum, stretch out , extend , Plin. 4, 15, 29, § 101; 3, 5, 9, § 60; hence, vites stratae, spreading , Col. 5, 4, 2 (for Nep. Milt. 5, 3, v. under rarus, II. A.).—
B In partic., to spread a thing out flat , i. e. to smooth , level (mostly poet.): sternere aequor aquis, Verg. A. 8, 89; cf.: placidi straverunt aequora venti, id. ib. 5, 763: nunc omne tibi stratum silet aequor, id. E. 9, 57: pontum, Ov. M. 11, 501: mare, Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 125: stratoque super discumbitur ostro, Verg. A. 1, 700: viam per mare, smoothed , levelled , Lucr. 3, 1030 (acc. to the Gr. ὁδὸν στορέννυμι): stratum militari labore iter, Quint. 2, 13, 16; so, hoc iter Alpes, Hoc Cannae stravere tibi, Sil. 12, 514; and trop.: praesens tibi fama benignum Stravit iter, Stat. Th. 12, 813.—*
2 Trop. (the figure borrowed from the sea), to calm , still , moderate : odia militum, Tac. H. 1, 58 (cf.: constrata ira, Stat. S. 2, 5, 1).—
II Transf.
A To cover , cover over (by spreading something out; the predom. class. signif. of the word; cf. obtendo).
1 Of a couch, bed, etc., to spread , prepare , arrange , make : lectus vestimentis stratus est, Ter. Heaut. 903; cf.: strata cubilia sunt herbis, Lucr. 5, 1417: rogatus est a Maximo, ut triclinium sterneret ... Atque ille stravit pelliculis haedinis lectulos Punicanos, Cic. Mur. 36, 75; so, lectum, lectos, biclinium, triclinia, etc., Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 33; id. Most. 1, 4, 14; id. Men. 2, 3, 3; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 70; id. Ps. 1, 2, 31; Ter. Heaut. 125; id. Ad. 285; Cic. Clu. 5, 14; id. Tusc. 5, 21, 61; Hirt. B. G. 8, 51: his foliis cubitus sternere, Plin. 24, 9, 38, § 59: torum frondibus, Juv. 6, 5: strata cathedra, cushioned , id. 9, 52; cf. also, ARCERAM NE STERNITO, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 25; and absol. : jubet sterni sibi in primā domus parte (sc. lectum), Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 7.—
2 Esp., places, to cover; of a way, road, path, etc., to pave : aspreta erant strata saxis, Liv. 9, 35, 2: via strata, id. 8, 15, 8: semitam saxo quadrato straverunt, id. 10, 23 fin. ; so, vias silice ... clivum Capitolinum silice ... emporium lapide, id. 41, 27, 5 sq.; and absol. : locum illum sternendum locare, Cic. Att. 14, 15, 2: pavimentum stratum lapide, Vulg. Ezech. 40, 17: viam lapide, Dig. 43, 11, 1.—
3 To saddle : equos, Liv. 37, 20, 12; 37, 20, 4; Veg. 5, 77: asinum, Vulg. Gen. 22, 3.—
4 In gen., to cover , spread : argento sternunt iter omne viarum, Lucr. 2, 626: foliis nemus Multis et algā litus inutili tempestas Sternet, will strew over , bestrew , Hor. C. 3, 17, 12: congeriem silvae vellere summam, Ov. M. 9, 236: litora nive, Val. Fl. 5, 175: harenam Circi chrysocolla, Plin. 33, 5, 27, § 90: solum telis, Verg. A. 9, 666: Tyrrhenas valles caedibus, Sil. 6, 602: strati bacis silvestribus agri, Verg. G. 2, 183: ante aras terram caesi stravere juvenci, covered , id. A. 8, 719.—
B To stretch out by flinging down , to throw down , stretch on the ground , throw to the ground , overthrow , prostrate (mostly poet., esp. in Verg.; in prose not before the Aug. period; in Cic. only once in the trop. sense; v. the foll.; cf. profligo): cujus casus prolapsi cum proximos sterneret, Liv. 5, 47: circa jacentem ducem sterne Gallorum catervas, id. 7, 26, 8: turbam invadite ac sternite omnia ferro, id. 24, 38, 7: alius sit fortis in armis, Sternat et adversos Marte favente duces, Tib. 1, 10, 30: caede viros, Verg. A. 10, 119: aliquem leto, id. ib. 8, 566: morte, id. ib. 11, 796; Liv. 31, 21, 15; Ov. M. 12, 604: adversā prensis a fronte capillis Stravit humi pronam, id. ib. 2, 477: primosque et extremos Stravit humum, Hor. C. 4, 14, 32: sternitur volnere, Verg. A. 10, 781: impetus per stratos caede hostes, Liv. 4, 29, 1: aliquem morti, Verg. A. 12, 464: irae Thyesten exitio gravi Stravere, Hor. C. 1, 16, 18: corpore toto Sternitur in vultus, Stat. Th. 12, 318: sternitur, et toto projectus corpore terrae, Verg. A. 11, 87: toto praecipitem sternit, Sil. 4, 182: hostes, Just. 2, 11, 13: Ajax stravit ferro pecus, Hor. S. 2, 3, 202: sternitur et procumbit humi bos, Verg. A. 5, 481: strata belua texit humum, Ov. H. 10, 106: rapidus torrens Sternit agros, sternit sata laeta, Verg. A. 2, 306: moenia, to overthrow , demolish , Ov. M. 12, 550; cf.: stratis ariete muris, Liv. 1, 29, 2: sternit a culmine Trojam, Verg. A. 2, 603; so, (elephanti) stabula Indorum dentibus sternunt, Plin. 8, 9, 9, § 27.—
2 Trop. (rare): deorum plagā perculsi, afflictos se et stratos esse fatentur, cast down , prostrated , Cic. Tusc. 3, 29, 72: mortalia corda Per gentes humiles stravit pavor, Verg. G. 1, 331: virtus populi Romani haec omnia strata humi erexit ac sustulit, Liv. 26, 41, 12: stratā Germaniā, subdued , Amm. 16, 1, 5.
XIII —Hence, strātus , a, um, P. a.; as substt.
A strāta , ae, f. (sc. via), a paved road or way (post-class.), Eutr. 9, 15: amplas sternite jam stratas, Juvenc. 1, 315: in margine stratae, id. 3, 656.—
B strātum , i, n. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic.; acc. to II. A.).—
1 A bed-covering , a coverlet , quilt , blanket; a pillow , bolster : lecti mollia strata, Lucr. 4, 849: proripere se e strato, Suet. Calig. 51; Ov. M. 5, 34; 10, 267.—
b Meton. (pars pro toto), a bed , couch : haud segnis strato surgit Palinurus, Verg. A. 3, 513; cf. id. ib. 8, 415; 3, 176: tale, Nep. Ages. 8: quies neque molli strato neque silentio arcessita, Liv. 21, 4, 7.— Plur. : strataque quae membris intepuere tuis, Ov. H. 10, 54: dura, id. Am. 1, 2, 2; Luc. 1, 239.—Once also (sc. lectus) in the masc. , Favorin. ap. Gell. 15, 8, 2.—
2 A horsecloth , housing , a saddle , Ov. M. 8, 33; Liv. 7, 14, 7; Sen. Ep. 80, 9; Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 202. —Prov.: qui asinum non potest, stratum caedit (v. asinum), Petr. 45, 8.—
3 A pavement : saxea viarum, Lucr. 1, 315; 4, 415: extraneum, Petr. poët. 55, 6, 11.