Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

vĕter, ĕris, v. vetus init.

vĕtus, ĕris (ante-class. collat. form of the nom. sing. vĕter, Enn. and Att. ap. Prisc. p. 607 P.; cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 2 Müll.; abl. regularly, vetere; but veteri, Juv. 6, 121; Stat. Th. 1, 360; 11, 582; 13, 374; comp. class. vetustior; archaic form veterior), adj. [Sanscr. vatsas, year; Gr. ἔτος, ϝετος].

  1. I. Adj.
    1. A. Old (opp. young), aged: Acherunticus senex, vetus, decrepitus, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 20: novus amator, vetus puer, id. ib. 5, 4, 15: poëta, Ter. Heaut. prol. 22: veteres ac moris antiqui memores, Liv. 42, 27, 4: veteres et sancti viri, Sall. H. 2, 23, 5 Dietsch: parentes, Verg. A. 5, 576: pecudes, Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 2: gallinae, Plin. 10, 53, 74, § 146; Col. 8, 5, 14: laurus, Verg. A. 2, 513: caput, Tib. 1, 8, 42.
    2. B. Old (opp. new), of long standing: quam veterrumu’st, tam homini optimu’st amicus, Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 71: maceria, id. ib. 2, 2, 50: Antemna veterior est Romā, Cato ap. Prisc. p. 716 P. (Orig. 1, fr. 25): quod si veteris contumeliae oblivisci vellet; num etiam recentium injuriarum memoriam deponere posse? Caes. B. G. 1, 14: invidia et infamia non recens, sed vetus ac diuturna, Cic. Verr. 1, 2, 5: vetus atque usitata exceptio, id. de Or. 1, 37, 168: sphaerae illius vetus esse inventum, id. Rep. 1, 14, 22: amici veteres (opp. novi), id. Lael. 18, 67: veterrima (amicitia), id. ib.: naves, Caes. B. G. 5, 15: nobilitas, Sall. J. 85, 4: consuetudo, id. C. 23, 3: provinciae, Liv. 21, 44, 7; 28, 39, 8.
      Esp., of soldiers, veteran, experienced: ille exercitatus et vetus (miles), Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38; cf. exercitus, id. ib.; Caes. B. C. 1, 3; Liv. 41, 8, 5: copiae, Caes. B. G. 1, 27: milites, id. ib. 6, 40; Liv. 26, 41, 2: legiones, id. 27, 8, 15: centuriones, id. 4, 17, 10.
      With gen. (post-Aug.): gnaros belli veteresque laborum, Sil. 4, 532: militiae, Tac. H. 4, 20: regnandi, id. A. 6, 44: scientiae et caerimoniarum, id. ib. 6, 12: operis ac laboris, id. ib. 1, 20: armorum, Sil. 17, 297.
      With inf. (poet.): hinc Fadum petit et veterem bellare Labicum, Sil. 5, 565.
    3. C. Old, of a former time (opp. present, existing), former, earlier, ancient, etc. (cf. antiquus): veterem atque antiquam rem novam ad vos proferam, Plaut. Am. prol. 118: historia vetus atque antiqua, id. Trin. 2, 2, 100 Brix ad loc.: credendum est veteribus et priscis, ut aiunt, viris, Cic. Univ. 11: veterrimi poëtae Stoici, id. N. D. 1, 15, 41: multo vetustior et horridior ille (Laelius) quam Scipio, archaic, antiquated, id. Brut. 21, 83: in veterem revoluta figuram, Verg. A. 6, 449: fama veterum malorum, id. ib. 6, 527: injuria, Phaedr. 1, 21, 6.
  2. II. Substt.
    1. A. vĕtĕres, um, m., the ancients, men of a former time, the fathers, ancestors, forefathers: majores nostri, veteres illi, admodum antiqui, leges annales non habebant, Cic. Phil. 5, 17, 47.
      Esp., of ancient authors, etc.: nostri veteres, Plin. 36, 7, 12, § 59: quae veteres factitarunt, Ter. Eun. prol. 43: omnes veteres et Cicero praecipue, Quint. 9, 3, 1; cf. id. 5, 4, 1: antiqui veteres, Front. Ep. ad Amic. 1, 5.
    2. B. vĕtĕres, um, f. (sc. tabernae), the old booths on the south side of the Forum Romanum (opp. Novae, v. novus): sub Veteribus, Plaut. Curc. 4, 1, 19; Liv. 44, 16, 10; Plin. 35, 4, 8, § 25.
    3. C. vĕtĕra, um, n., the old, old things, antiquity (opp. praesentia): vetera semper in laude, praesentia in fastidio, Tac. Or. 18; cf. id. ib. 15: si vetera mihi ignota (sunt), Cic. Sull. 18, 51: vetera omittere, to leave out of consideration, Sall. J. 102, 14: vetera odisse, nova optare, id. C. 37, 3: vetera scrutari, traditions, Cic. Tusc. 1, 13, 29.
      Prov.: vetera vaticinamini, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 129 Lorenz ad loc.