Lewis & Short

lăvo, lāvi, lautum, lăvātum and lōtum (in class. prose, perf. lāvi; sup. always lavātum; perf. part. lautus; the other forms of the first conj. Also, pres. lavĕre; second pers. lavis, ante-class. and poet.; cf. Diom. 1, p. 377; v. Neue, Formenl. second ed. 2, p. 420), 1 and 3, v. a. and n. [Gr. λυ- in λύθρον; strengthened in λούω, λοῦτρον; cf. λόϝετρον; Lat. luo (pol-luo, etc.), diluvium, lutus], to wash, bathe, lave.

  1. I. Lit.: si inquinata erit lavito, Cato, R. R. 65: puerum, Enn. ap. Non. 504, 17; Plaut. Truc. 5, 10: manus lavite, Titin. ib. 22: manus lava, Cic. de Or. 2, 60, 246: cum jam manus pransores lavarent, Veran. ap. Macrob. S. 3, 6, 14.
    Mid.: cum soceris generi non lavantur, do not bathe themselves or bathe, id. Off. 1, 35, 129: lavantur in fluminibus, Caes. B. G. 4, 1: cur te lautum voluit occidere? Cic. Deiot. 7, 20: lautis manibus, Hor. S. 2, 3, 282: lotis pedibus, Plin. 24, 11, 62, § 103: vestimenta lota, Petr. 30 fin.: qui it lavatum in balineas, Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 51; so, eo lavatum, id. Aul. 3, 6, 43; id. Stich. 4, 1, 62; Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 44; 52; id. Heaut. 4, 1, 42: (venias) vasa lautum, non ad cenam dico, Plaut. Stich. 4, 2, 15.
          1. (β) Neutr.: pisces ego credo, qui usque dum vivunt, lavant, Minus diu lavere, quam haec lavat Phronesium, Plaut. Truc. 2, 3, 1 sqq.: illa si jam laverit, mihi nuncia, Ter. Heaut. 4, 1, 5: lavanti regi dicitur nuntiatum, hostes adesse, Liv. 44, 6.
    1. B. Transf., to wet, moisten, bedew: eas (tabellas) lacrimis lavis, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 8: si … neque quicquam captumst piscium, salsi lautique pure domum redimus clanculum, soaked, id. Rud. 2, 1, 12; Lucr. 5, 950: lacrimis vultum lavere profusis, Ov. M. 9, 680; Luc. 6, 709; esp. of bloodshed: lavit ater corpora sanguis, Verg. G. 3, 221: lavit improba teter Ora cruor, id. A. 10, 727: sanguine largo Colla, id. ib. 12, 722: arma cerebro, Val. Fl. 4, 153: his (rivis) nunc illa viridia, nunc haec, interdum simul omnia lavantur, Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 40; cf. of rivers: flavus quam Tiberis lavat, Hor. C. 2, 3, 18; id. Epod. 16, 28; of the ocean: quas Oceani refluum mare lavit arenas, Ov. M. 7, 267.
  2. II. Trop., to wash away: venias nunc precibus lautum peccatum tuum, Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 80: dulci Mala vino lavere, Hor. C. 3, 12, 2.
    Hence, lautus, a, um, P. a.
    1. A. Lit., washed, bathed, laved (very rare): nam itast ingenium muliebre; bene quom lauta tersa ornata fictast, infectast tamen, Plaut. Stich. 5, 5, 4: in double meaning with C., v. infra: lautam vis an nondum lauta quae sit? Pa. Siccam, at sucidam, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 192 Lorenz ad loc.
    2. B. Hence, transf., neat, elegant, splendid, sumptuous, luxurious: tute tibi puer es; lautus luces cereum, i. e. in a fine dress, Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 9: nihil apud hunc lautum, nihil elegans, nihil exquisitum, Cic. Pis. 27, 67: lauta supellex, id. de Or. 1, 36, 165: lautum victum et elegantem colere, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 337, 27: magnificum et lautum, id. Fam. 9, 16, 8: lautiora opera, Plin. 16, 15, 26, § 67: lauto cenare paratu, Juv. 14, 13: epulae lautiores, Stat. S. 1, 6, 32: lautissima vina, Plin. 14, 13, 15, § 92: lautissima cena, Plin. Ep. 9, 17: praetor, Juv. 14, 257: lautum et copiosum patrimonium, rich, splendid, noble, Cic. Rab. Post. 14, 38: in civitate Halaesina tam lauta, tamque nobili, wealthy, id. Fam. 13, 32, 1: valde jam lautus es, qui gravere litteras ad me dare, you are now very grand, id. ib. 7, 14, 1: homines lauti et urbani, noble, distinguished, id. Verr. 2, 1, 6, § 17: libertis minus lautis servisque nihil defuit: nam lautiores eleganter accepti, id. Att. 13, 52, 2: certumque fit … cocos tum panem lautioribus coquere solitos, for the rich, Plin. 18, 11, 28, § 108: orborum lautissimus. Juv. 3, 221.
          1. (β) With inf.: rhombos libertis ponere lautus, splendid, Pers. 6, 23.
    3. C. Trop., noble, glorious, etc.: beneficentiae et liberalitatis est ratio duplex: nam aut opera benigne fit indigentibus, aut pecunia: facilior est haec posterior, locupleti praesertim: sed illa lautior ac splendidior, nobler, more glorious, Cic. Off. 2, 15, 52: lautum negotium, honorable, id. Att. 6, 1, 13: omnium hortensiorum lautissima cura asparagis, the most diligent, the nicest, Plin. 19, 8, 42, § 145: lautus habetur, a gentleman, Juv. 11, 1; 1, 67.
      Hence, adv.: lautē, neatly, elegantly, splendidly, sumptuously.
      1. 1. Lit.: laute exornatus, Plaut. Cas. 4, 1, 10: facete, lepide, laute, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 37: vivere, Nep. Chabr. 3: res domesticas lautius tueri, Cic. Tusc. 1, 1, 2: lautius accipi, Suet. Calig. 55.
      2. 2. Trop., excellently, beautifully, finely: loquitur laute, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 25: militem laute ludificari, id. ib. 4, 4, 25: munus administrasti tuum, Ter. Ad. 5, 1, 2.
        Comp.: si quis existat, qui putet nos lautius fecisse, quam orationis severitas exigat, that I have made more use of ornament, Plin. Ep. 2, 5.
        Sup.: hodie me ante omnes comicos stultos senes Versaris atque emunxeris lautissime, Poët. ap. Cic. Lael. 26, 99.