lascīvus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. lash-āmi, desire; las-āmi, play; Gr. la- in λάω, λιλαίομαι; cf. Goth. lustus; also Lat. largus], wanton, petulant, sportive, playful, frolicsome, frisky, (syn.: petulans, procax).
- I. In a good sense: nova proles, * Lucr. 1, 260: capella, Verg. E. 2, 64: puella, id. ib. 3, 64: pueri, Hor. S. 1, 3, 134: Amores, id. C. 2, 11, 7: currumque sequuntur matris lascivo sidera fulva choro, Tib. 2, 1, 88: tenero lascivior haedo, Ov. M. 13, 791: aetas, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 216: hederae, wanton, luxuriant, id. C. 1, 36, 20: acus, for ornamenting the hair, a hair-pin, Mart. 11, 45, 6; cf. Tert. Verg. Vel. 12: tristia maestum Vultum verba decent. … Ludentem lasciva, sportive, playful, Hor. A. P. 107; cf.: quod dicitur, aut est lascivum et hilare aut contumeliosum, Quint. 6, 3, 27: ad quod (caput aselli) lascivi ludebant ruris alumni, Juv. 11, 98.
- II. In a bad sense, licentious, lewd, lustful, lascivious, Varr. R. R. 1, 14: Siculi, ut sunt lascivi et dicaces, Cael. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 41: puellae, lascivious, Ov. A. A. 1, 523: femur, id. Am. 3, 7, 10: libelli, lewd, Mart. 5, 2, 5; cf.: tabellis ac sigillis lascivissimarum picturarum et figurarum, Suet. Tib. 43.
- III. Trop., of style, licentious, luxuriant, overloaded with ornament; oratio, Gell. 12, 2, 9; cf.: illud lascivum ζωὴ καὶ ψυχή, Juv. 6, 194.
Hence, adv. in two forms.
- A. lascīvē, wantonly, lasciviously (post-class.): loqui, licentiously, Mart. 8 init.: versus facere, App. Mag. p. 278, 31.
Comp.: lascivius, Avien. Arat. 514.
- B. lascīvĭter, wantonly, petulantly: ludere, Laev. ap. Charis. p. 183 P.