Lewis & Short

ārĭdus (contr. ardus, like arfacio from arefacio, Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 18; Lucil. ap. Non. p. 74, 20; Inscr. Grut. 207), a, um, adj. [areo], dry, withered, arid, parched.

  1. I. Lit.: ligna, Lucr. 2, 881: lignum, Hor. C. 3, 17, 13; so Vulg. Eccli. 6, 3; ib. Isa. 56, 3: cibus, Lucr. 1, 809; so id. 1, 864: ficis victitamus aridis, Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 59: folia, Cic. Pis. 40, 97, and Plin. 12, 12, 26, § 46: ficus, Vulg. Marc. 11, 20: Libye, Ov. M. 2, 238: quale portentum Jubae tellus leonum Arida nutrix, Hor. C. 1, 22, 16: terra arida et sicca, Plin. 2, 65, 66, § 166; so, terra arida, Vulg. Sap. 19, 7: arida terra, ib. Heb. 11, 29; so absol.: arida (eccl. Lat.), ib. Gen. 1, 9; ib. Psa. 65, 6; ib. Matt. 23, 15: montes aridi sterilesque. Plin. 33, 4, 21, § 67.
    Also, subst.: ārĭdum, i, n., a dry place, dry land: ex arido tela conicere, Caes. B. G. 4, 25: naves in aridum subducere, id. ib. 4, 29.
    Meton., of thirst: sitis, Lucr. 3, 917, and 6, 1175; so, os, Verg. G. 3, 458: ora, id. A. 5, 200: guttur, Ov. [ad Liv. 422].
    Of a fever: febris, i. e. causing thirst, Verg. G. 3, 458 (cf. Lucr. 4, 875); so, morbus, Veg. Vet. Art. 1, 4.
    Of color: arbor folio convoluto, arido colore, like that of dried leaves, Plin. 12, 26, 59, § 129.
    And of a cracking, snapping sound, as when dry wood is broken: sonus, Lucr. 6, 119: aridus altis Montibus (incipit) audiri fragor, a dry crackling noise begins to be heard in the high mountain forest, Verg. G. 1, 357.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. Of things which are dried, shrunk up, shrivelled, meagre, lean: crura, Ov. A. A. 3, 272: nates, Hor. Epod. 8, 5: uvis aridior puella passis, Auct. Priap. 32, 1; so from disease, withered: manus, Vulg. Matt. 12, 10; ib. Marc. 3, 1; and absol. of persons: aridi, ib. Joan. 5, 3.
      Hence, of food or manner of living, meagre, scanty: in victu arido in hac horridā incultāque vitā, poor, scanty diet, Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: vita horrida atque arida, id. Quinct. 30.
      Transf. to men, indigent, poor: cliens, Mart. 10, 87, 5.
    2. B. Of style, dry, jejune, unadorned, spiritless: genus sermonis exile, aridum, concisum ac minutum, Cic. de Or. 2, 38, 159; so Auct. ad Her. 4, 11: narratio, Quint. 2, 4, 3: aridissimi libri, Tac. Or. 19.
      Meton., of the orator himself: orator, Quint. 12, 10, 13: rhetores, Sen. Contr. 34: magister, Quint. 2, 4, 8.
      Of scholars: sicci omnino atque aridi pueri, sapless and dry, Suet. Gram. 4; cf. Quint. 2, 8, 9.
    3. C. In comic lang., avaricious, of a man from whom, as it were, nothing can be expressed (cf. Argentiexterebronides): pumex non aeque est aridus atque hic est senex, Plaut. Aul. 2, 4, 18: pater avidus, miser atque aridus, Ter. Heaut. 3, 2, 15.
    4. * D. In Plaut. as a mere natural epithet of metal: arido argentost opus, dry coin, Rud. 3, 4, 21.
      Adv. not used.