Lewis & Short

ăd-ŏlesco, ēvi (rare ui, Varr. ap. Prisc. 872 P.; adolēsse sync. for adolevisse, Ov. H. 6, 11), ultum, 3, v. inch. [1. adoleo], to grow up, to grow (of everything capable of increase in magnitude).

  1. I. In gen.
    1. A. Lit., of men, animals, plants; seasons, passions, etc.; but esp. of age: postquam adolevit ad eam aetatem, uti, etc., Plaut. Cas. prol. 47: ubi robustis adolevit viribus aetas, Lucr. 3, 450; cf. 4, 1035; 2, 1123: adultum robur, id. 2, 1131; 5, 798: postquam adoluerit haec juventus, Varr. ap. Prisc. p. 872 P.: qui adoleverit, Cic. N. D. 1, 35: viriditas herbescens, quae sensim adolescit, id. Sen. 15, 51: ter senos proles adoleverat annos, Ov. F. 3, 59: adolescere ramos cernat, id. M. 4, 376: adolēsse segetes, id. H. 6, 11: simul atque adoleverit aetas, Hor. S. 1, 9, 34: cum matura adoleverit aetas, Verg. A. 12, 438.
      Hence, transf. from age to the person, to grow up, come to maturity, mature: adulta virgo, Liv. 26, 50 al.: arundines non sine imbre adolescunt, Plin. 9, 16, 23, § 56: in amplitudinem, id. 12, 1, 3, § 7: in crassitudinem, id. 13, 7, 15, § 58; so 16, 34, 62, § 151; 8, 14, 14, § 36 al.: ac dum prima novis adolescit frondibus aetas, Verg. G. 2, 362: quoad capillus adolesceret, Gell. 17, 9.
    2. B. Fig., to grow, increase, augment, to become greater: cupiditas agendi adolescit una cum aetatibus, Cic. Fin. 5, 20: ratio cum adolevit, id. Leg. 1, 7: ingenium brevi adolevit, Sall. J. 63, 3: postquam res publica adolevit, id. C. 51, 40; id. J. 2: quantum superbiae socordiaeque Vitellio adoleverit, Tac. H. 2, 73: Cremona numero colonorum, adolevit, id. ib. 3, 34: ver adolescit, advances, id. A. 13, 36; 2, 50: caepe revirescit, decedente luna, inarescit adolescente, Gell. 20, 8.
  2. II. Esp., in sacrificial lang., to be kindled, to burn (cf. 1. adoleo): Panchaeis adolescunt ignibus arae, Verg. G. 4, 379.
    Hence, ădŏlescens, entis, v. adules-.—ădultus, a, um, P. a., grown up, adult.
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. Of living beings: Ab his ipsis (virginibus), cum jam essent adultae, Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 58; so, virgo, id. Brut. 96, 330; Liv. 26, 50; Hor. C. 3, 2, 8 al.; cf.: adultae aetate virgines, Suet. Aug. 69: pueri, Quint. 2, 2, 3: liberi, Suet. Tib. 10: filius, id. Claud. 39: catuli, Plin. 9, 8, 7, § 22: locustae, id. 11, 29, 35, § 105: fetus (apum), Verg. G. 4, 162.
        Comp.: (hirundinum) pullorum adultiores, Plin. 10, 33, 49, § 92.
      2. 2. Of things (concrete and abstract): vitium propagine, Hor. Epod. 2, 9: crinis, Stat. S. 2, 122: lanugo, Amm. 16, 12 al.: aetas, Lucr. 2, 1123; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 68, § 160: aestas, advanced, Tac. A. 2, 23: autumnus, id. ib. 11. 31: nox, id. H. 3, 23.
    2. B. Fig., grown, matured, adult: populus adultus jam paene et pubes, Cic. Rep. 2, 11; so, qui non nascentibus Athenis, sed jam adultis fuerunt, id. Brut. 7, 27; cf.: nascenti adhuc (eloquentiae) nec satis adultae, Tac. Or. 25: res nondum adultae, Liv. 2, 1, 6: pestis rei publicae (of Catiline), Cic. Cat. 1, 12, 30: auctoritas nondum adulta, Tac. A. 1, 46: conjuratio, id. ib. 15, 73; cf.: incipiens adhuc et necdum adulta seditio, id. H. 1, 31 al.

ădŭlescens (only ădŏl- in the verb and part. proper), entis (gen. plur. usu. adulescentium, e. g. Cic. Tusc. 5, 27 al.: adulescentum, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 130).

  1. A. P. a., growing up, not yet come to full growth, young: eodem ut jure uti senem liceat, quo jure sum usus adulescentior, Ter. Hec. prol. alt. 3: uti adulescentior aetati concederet, etc., Sall. H. 1, 11 (Fragm. ap. Prisc. 902).
    Trop., of the new Academic philosophy: adulescentior Academia, Cic. Fam. 9, 8, 1.
    Sup. and adv. not used.
  2. B. Subst. comm. gen., one who has not yet attained maturity, a youth, a young man; a young woman, a maiden (between the puer and juvenis, from the 15th or 17th until past the 30th year, often even until near the 40th; but the same person is often called in one place adulescens, and in another juvenis, e. g. Cic. Fam. 2, 1, with Att. 2, 12; cf. id. Top. 7; often the adulescentia passes beyond the period of manhood, even to senectus; while in other cases adulescentia is limited to 25 years, Cic. Tusc. 2, 1, 2 Goer.: “Primo gradu usque ad annum XV. pueros dictos, quod sint puri, i. e. impubes. Secundo ad XXX. annum ab adolescendo sic nominatos,” Varr. ap. Censor. cap. 14. “Tertia (aetas) adulescentia ad gignendum adulta, quae porrigitur (ab anno XIV.) usque ad vigesimum octavum annum,” Isid. Orig. 11, 2, 4. Thus Cicero, in de Or. 2, 2, calls Crassus adulescens, though he was 34 years old; in id. Phil. 2, 44, Brutus and Cassius, when in their 40th year, are called adulescentes; and in id. ib. 46, Cicero calls himself, at the time of his consulship, i. e. in his 44th year, adulescens; cf. Manut. ap. Cic. Fam. 2, 1, p. 146): tute me ut fateare faciam esse adulescentem moribus, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 67: bonus adulescens, Ter. And. 4, 7, 4: adulescentes bonā indole praediti, Cic. Sen. 8, 26: adulescens luxu perditus, Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 42: adulescens perditus et dissolutus, Cic. Tusc. 4, 25; Vulg. Gen. 34, 19; ib. Matt. 19, 20.
    Homo and adulescens are often used together: amanti homini adulescenti, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 94; Ter. Phorm. 5, 9, 53; Cic. Fam. 2, 15: hoc se labore durant homines adulescentes, Caes. B. G. 6, 28; Sall. C. 38; id. J. 6; Liv. 2, 6.
    Fem.: optimae adulescenti facere injuriam, Ter. And. 3, 2, 8: Africani filia adulescens, Cic. Div. 1, 18 fin. The young Romans who attended the proconsuls and propraetors in the provinces were sometimes called adulescentes (commonly contubernales), Caes. B. C. 1, 23; 1, 51. Sometimes adulescens serves to distinguish the younger of two persons of the same name: Brutus adulescens, Caes. B. G. 7, 87: P. Crassus adulescens, id. ib. 1, 52, and 3, 7: L. Caesar adulescens, id. B. C. 1, 8.