Lewis & Short

rustĭcus, a, um, adj. [rus], of or belonging to the country, rural, rustic, country- (very freq. and class.; syn. agrestis; opp. urbanus).

  1. I. Lit.: vita, Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 1; cf.: vita haec rustica, quam tu agrestem vocas, Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: duae vitae hominum, rustica et urbana, id. ib. 17, 48: Romani (opp. urbani), Varr. R. R. 2, praef. § 1; cf. plebes (opp. urbana), Col. praef. § 17; praedia, Cic. Rosc. Am. 15, 42: hortus, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 15: instrumentum, Phaedr. 4, 4, 24: opus, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 90: res, Cic. de Or. 1, 16, 69; 1, 58, 249; Col. praef. § 19 sq.: homo (with agricola), Cic. Rosc. Am. 49, 143; id. N. D. 3, 5, 11: colona, Ov. F. 2, 645; cf. Phidyle, Hor. C. 3, 23, 2: mus (opp. urbanus), id. S. 2, 6, 80; 115: gallinae, heathcocks, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 16; Col. 8, 2, 1 sq. (cf. infra, B. 2. b.): numina, Ov. M. 1, 192: fistula, id. ib. 8, 191: sedulitas, id. F. 6, 534: regna, id. H. 4, 132: opprobria versibus alternis, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 146: carcer, Juv. 14, 24.
    1. B. Substt.
      1. 1. ru-stĭcus, i, m., a countryman, rustic, peasant; in plur.: rustici, country people, rustics: urbani fiunt rustici, etc., Plaut. Mere. 4, 3, 15 sq.: omnes urbani, rustici, Cic. Fin. 2, 23, 77; cf. id. Or. 24, 81; semper occant prius quam sarriunt rustici, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 5; id. Most. 5, 1, 28; Col. 2, 4, 8; 9, 10 et saep.
        In sing., Ov. M. 2, 699; Hor. Epod. 2, 68; id. Ep. 1, 7, 83; 2, 2, 39; Vulg. Sap. 17, 16.
      2. 2. rustĭca, ae, f.
        1. a. A country girl, Ov. M. 5, 583.
        2. b. (Sc. gallina.) A heath-cock, Mart. 13, 76 (cf. supra, A., and rusticulus, II. B.).
  2. II. Transf., countrylike, rustic, simple, in a good or (more freq.) in a bad sense, i. e. plain, simple, provincial, rough, coarse, gross, awkward, clownish, etc. (in this sense not freq. till after the Aug. period; previously, as in Cic., agrestis was more used): rustica vox et agrestis quosdam delectat, etc. … neque solum rusticam asperitatem, sed etiam peregrinam insolentiam fugere discamus, Cic. de Or. 3, 11, 42; 12, 44: pro bardā et pro rusticā haberi, Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 2: rusticus inlitteratusque litigator, Quint. 2, 21, 16: manus (with indoctae), id. 1, 11, 16; cf. with indoctus, id. 12, 10, 53; with barbarus, id. 2, 20, 6; (opp. disertus) 7, 1, 43: id vitium sermonis non barbarum esse, sed rusticum, Gell. 13, 6, 2: Germana illuvies, rusticus, hircus, hara suis, etc., a lout, clown, Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 39 Lorenz ad loc.: rusticus es, Corydon, Verg. E. 2, 56: quid coeptum, rustice, rumpis iter? Ov. Am. 3, 6, 88: addidit obscenis convicia rustica dictis, id. M. 14, 522: sive procax aliqua est; capior, quia rustica non est, very prudish, id. Am. 2, 4, 13; cf. id. A. A. 1, 607: nec tamen est, quamvis agros amet illa feraces, Rustica, id. Am. 3, 10, 18.
    In a good sense: mores, Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: veritas, Mart. 10, 72, 11.
    Comp.: simus hoc titulo rusticiore contenti, Sen. Ep. 88, 33.
    Hence, adv.: ru-stĭcē (acc. to II.), in a countrified manner, clownishly, boorishly, awkwardly: loquinon aspere, non vaste, non rustice, Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45: urgere, id. Off. 3, 9, 39: facere aliquid, id. Att. 12, 36, 2: cum eo vitio loquentes rustice loqui dictitabant, Gell. 13, 6, 2.
    Comp.: rusticius toga defluit, Hor. S. 1, 3, 31.
    Sup. does not occur.