Lewis & Short

siccus, a, um, adj. [cf. Sanscr. cush, to dry up; Gr. αὔω], dry.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; cf. aridus): arena, Verg. G. 1, 389: fauces fluminum, id. ib. 4, 427: siccāque in rupe resedit, id. A. 5, 180: litus, id. ib. 6, 162: siccum et sine umore ullo solum, Quint. 2, 4, 8: glebae, Hor. Epod. 16, 55: agri, id. S. 2, 4, 15: lacus, Prop. 2, 14 (3, 6), 11: regio, Curt. 9, 10, 2: via (opp. palustris), Dig. 43, 8, 2, § 32 et saep.
      Sup.: horreum siccissimum, Col. 12, 15, 2: oculi, tearless, Quint. 6, 2, 27; Prop. 1, 17, 11; Hor. C. 1, 3, 18; so, lumina, Tib. 1, 1, 66; Luc. 9, 1044: genae, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 80; Ov. H. 11, 10: decurrere pedibus super aequora siccis, id. M. 14, 50; and, transf.: siccus aerumnas tuli, tearless, Sen. Herc. Oet. 1270: pocula, Tib. 3, 6, 18: urna, Hor. C. 3, 11, 23: panis, dry bread, Sen. Ep. 83, 6; Plin. 22, 25, 68, § 139: agaricum manducatum siccum, id. 26, 7, 18, § 32; Capitol. Anton. 13; Vop. Tac. 11: spolia non sanguine sicca suo, Prop. 4 (5), 10, 12: cuspis, Stat. Th. 8, 383: ensis, Sen. Troad. 50.
      With gen.: sicci stimulabant sanguinis enses, i. e. bloodless, Sil. 7, 213: carinae, standing dry, Hor. C. 1, 4, 2: magna minorque ferae (i. e. ursa major et minor), utraque sicca, i. e. that do not dip into, set beneath the sea, Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 2; so, signa, id. ib. 4, 9, 18: aquae, i. e. snow, Mart. 4, 3, 7: vox, dried up with heat, husky, Ov. M. 2, 278 et saep.
      1. 2. As subst.: siccum, i; and plur.: sicca, ōrum, n., dry land, a dry place; dry places: donec rostra tenent siccum, Verg. A. 10, 301: in sicco, on the dry land, on the shore, Prop. 3, 10 (9), 6; Verg. G. 1, 363; Liv. 1, 4; Plin. 9, 8, 8, § 27; 26, 7, 22, § 39: ut aqua piscibus, ut sicca terrenis, circumfusus nobis spiritus volucribus convenit, Quint. 12, 11, 13: harundo, quae in siccis provenit, Plin. 16, 36, 66, § 165; so, in siccis, id. 17, 22, 35, § 170.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Of the weather, dry, without rain: sive annus siccus est … seu pluvius, Col. 3, 20, 1: ver, Plin. 11, 29, 35, § 101: aestivi tempora sicca Canis, Tib. 1, 4, 6; for which: incipit et sicco fervere terra Cane, Prop. 2, 28 (3, 24), 4: sole dies referente siccos, Hor. C. 3, 29, 20: siccis aër fervoribus ustus, Ov. M. 1, 119: caelum, Plin. 18, 12, 31, § 123: ventus, id. 2, 47, 48, § 126; Luc. 4, 50: luna, Prop. 2, 17 (3, 9), 15; Plin. 17, 9, 8, § 57; cf. id. 17, 14, 24, § 112: nubes, i. e. without rain, Luc. 4, 331: hiemps, without snow, Ov. Am. 3, 6, 106.
      2. 2. Of the human body, dry, as a healthy state (opp. rheumy, catarrhal, tumid, etc.), firm, solid, vigorous: (mulier) sicca, succida, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 192; Petr. 37: corpora sicciora cornu, Cat. 23, 12: corpora graciliora siccioraque, Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 65: (puella) Nec bello pede … nec ore sicco, free from saliva, Cat. 43, 3; cf. tussis, without expectoration, Cels. 4, 6: medicamentum, causing dryness, Scrib. Comp. 71.
      3. 3. Dry, thirsty: nimis diu sicci sumus, Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 41; cf.: siti sicca sum, id. Curc. 1, 2, 26; 1, 2, 22; id. Ps. 1, 2, 51; Hor. S. 2, 2, 14: faucibus siccis, fasting, Verg. A. 2, 358.
        1. b. Transf., abstemious, temperate, sober (syn. sobrius): Art. Ego praeter alios meum virum fui rata Siccum, frugi, continentem, etc. Pa. At nunc dehinc scito, illum ante omnes … Madidum, nihili, incontinentem, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 7; so (opp. vinolentus) Cic. Ac. 2, 27, 88; id. Agr. 1, 1, 1; id. Fragm. ap. Non. 395, 4 (opp. vinolenti); Sen. Ep. 18, 3; Hor. S. 2, 3, 281; id. C. 4, 5, 39: siccis omnia dura deus proposuit, id. ib. 1, 18, 3; id. Ep. 1, 19, 9; 1, 17, 12.
  2. II. Trop.
      1. 1. Firm, solid (acc. to I. B. 2.): (Attici) sani duntaxat et sicci habeantur, Cic. Opt. Gen. 3, 8; cf.: nihil erat in ejus oratione nisi sincerum, nihil nisi siccum atque sanum, id. Brut. 55, 202; Quint. 2, 4, 6.
      2. 2. Of style, dry, insipid, jejune (acc. to I. B. 3.): siccum et sollicitum et contractum dicendi propositum, Quint. 11, 1, 32: sicca et incondita et propemodum jejuna oratio, Gell. 14, 1, 32: durus et siccus, Tac. Or. 21: ne sicci omnino atque aridi pueri rhetoribus traderentur, ignorant, unformed, unprepared, Suet. Gram. 4.
      3. 3. Dry, cold: medullae, i. e. void of love, cold, Prop. 2, 12 (3, 3), 17; so, puella, Ov. A. A. 2, 686; Mart. 11, 81, 2; cf. id. 11, 17, 8.
        Hence, adv.: siccē, dryly, without wet or damp (very rare; perh. only in the two foll. passages).
    1. A. Lit.: ut bos sicce stabuletur, Col. 6, 12, 2.
    2. B. Trop.: eos solos Attice dicere, id est quasi sicce et integre, firmly, solidly, Cic. Opt. Gen. 4, 12; v. supra, II.