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.

1. vādo (vāsi, Tert. Pall. 3), 3, v. n. [cf. Sanscr. root gā-, go; Gr. ΒΑ, αίνω], to go, walk; esp. to go hastily or rapidly, to rush (syn. incedo).

  1. I. Lit. (rare but class.): vadunt solidā vi, Enn. ap. Gell. 20, 10 (Ann. v. 277 Vahl.): ingenti cursu, id. ap. Fest. p. 363 Müll. (Ann. v. 470 Vahl.): cum feras bestias videamus alacres et erectas vadere, ut alteri bestiae noceant, Auct. Her. 2, 19, 29: vadit fremit refringit virgulta pede vago, Cat. 63, 86: vadimus inmixti Danais, Verg. A. 2 396: ad eum (Pompeium) postridie mane vadebam, Cic. Att. 4, 10, 2: ad amnem, Ov. M. 11, 137: inde in primum aditum pontis, Liv 2, 10, 5: in hostem, to stride on, advance, id. 7, 24, 6: haud dubi am in mortem, Verg. A. 2, 359: per hostes, Tac. H. 3, 41: cras mane vadit, Cic. Att. 14, 11, 2: vadite, et haec memores regi mandata referte, Verg. A. 11, 176; 4, 223; Hor. Ep. 1, 13, 19.
    1. B. Of inanimate things: Euphrates in Mesopotamiam vadit per ipsam Seleuciam, Plin. 5, 26, 21, § 90: circulus per medios Parthos, id. 6, 34, 39, § 213.
  2. II. Trop.: ardua per praeceps gloria vadit iter, Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 74: vadit animus in praeceps sciens, etc., Sen. Hippol. 180: eruditi et rude vulgus in eam (sententiam) cursu vadit, Plin. 2, 7, 5, § 23; App. M. 2, p. 117, 27.

vădum, i, n. (masc. collat form, vă-dus, i, Varr. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 111; Sall. H. 1, 68 Dietsch) [cf. the root BA, βαίνω, whence, also, vado; hence, that through which one can go], a shallow place in water, a shallow, shoal, ford.

  1. I. Lit.
      1. 1. Sing.: Rhodanus nonnullis locis vado transitur, Caes. B. G. 1, 6; 5, 58; 7, 55: vadum in flumine efficere, id. B. C. 1, 61: vadum fluminis temptare, si transire possent, id. ib. 1, 83: exercitum vado transducere, id. ib. 3, 37: vado flumen penetrare, Tac. A. 2, 68: vado superari amnis non poterat, Liv. 38, 13, 9; 38, 18, 7: piscis qui vivit in vado, Cels. 2, 18: amnis incerto vado, Tac. A. 12, 33.
      2. 2. Piur., so esp. of a shallow place where a river is crossed, a ford: ibi vadis repertis partem suarum copiarum transducere conati sunt, Caes. B. G. 2, 9; 1, 8; 3, 13; Liv. 26, 45, 8; 31, 1, 5; Tac. A. 2, 23; id. H. 4, 27; Lucr. 1, 200; Ov. M. 1, 370; 3, 19.
        Also of shallows, as dangerous in navigation: mystica ad dextram vada Praetervecti, Att. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, 19 Müll. (Trag. Rel. v. 687 Rib.): brevia, Verg. A. 5, 221: caeca, id. ib. 1, 536: dura saxis Lilybeia caecis, id. ib. 3, 706; cf.: Nessus, scitus vadorum, Ov. M. 9, 108.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. A body of water, a sea, stream, etc. (poet.): longā sulcant vada salsa carinā, Verg. A. 5, 158; 7, 198; Cat. 64, 58: si tamen Non tangenda rates transiliunt vada, Hor. C. 1, 3, 24; Ov. P. 4, 9, 2; Sen. Hippol. 181 al.
      2. 2. The bottom of a body of water, the depths (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): saxa Vadis levata, Hor. Epod. 16, 26; Plin. 3, praef. § 4: ostrea capta solido vado, id. 32, 6, 21, § 59: sedit limoso pressa carina vado, Ov. F. 4, 300.
      3. 3. The bottom of a well, Phaedr. 4, 9, 12; Plin. 31, 3, 23, § 39.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Of shallow water, as a place of safety to the swimmer: haec propemodum jam esse in vado salutis res videtur, i. e. in safety, Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 73: at in vado’st: jam facile enabit, id. Rud. 1, 2, 81: omnis res est jam in vado, Ter. And. 5, 2, 4.
    2. B. Of shallows, as dangerous to the mariner: emersisse jam e vadis et scopulos praetervecta videtur oratio mea, Cic. Cael. 21, 51: cera vadum tentet, rasis infusa tabellis, explore the way, i. e. make a first attempt, Ov. A. A. 1, 437.