Lewis & Short

siccĭtas, ātis (gen. plur. siccitatium, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 222), f. [siccus], dryness, siccity (freq. and class.; used alike in sing. and plur.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: ab lippitudine usque siccitas ut sit tibi, * Plaut. Rud. 3, 2, 18: uvae, Plin. 18, 31, 74, § 315: palmarum, id. 13, 4, 9, § 47.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Of places, dryness: in Sipontinā siccitate, Cic. Agr. 2, 27, 71: siccitates paludum, Caes. B. G. 4, 38.
      2. 2. Of the weather, dryness, drought: siccitate et inopiā frugum insignis annus fuit: sex menses numquam pluisse, memoriae proditum est, Liv. 40, 29; cf. id. 4, 30; Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 1, § 1; Plin. 31, 4, 28, § 51.
        Plur.: frumentum in Galliā propter siccitates angustius provenerat, Caes. B. G. 5, 24; Varr. R. R. 1, 31 fin.: in siccitatibus acutae febres oriuntur, Cels. 2, 1 med.; Quint. 11, 3, 27; Col. 12, 44, 8; Plin. 10, 65, 85, § 186; 31, 4, 28, § 50.
      3. 3. Of the human body, dryness, siccity, as a state of health; freedom from gross humors (opp. rheum, catarrh, tumefaction, etc.), firmness, solidity: Persae eam sunt consecuti corporis siccitatem, ut neque spuerent neque emungerentur suffiatoque corpore essent, Varr. ap. Non. 395, 7: adde siccitatem, quae consequitur hanc continentiam in victu; adde integritatem valetudinis, Cic. Tusc. 5, 34, 99: corporis, id. Sen. 10, 34.
  2. II. Trop., dryness, jejuneness, want of ornament (very rare): isti (magistri) cum non modo dominos se fontium, sed se ipsos fontes esse dicant, et omnium rigare debeant ingenia, non putant fore ridiculum, si, cum id polliceantur aliis, arescant ipsi siccitate, Auct. Her. 4, 6, 9: orationis siccitas, Cic. N. D. 2, 1, 1; cf.: jejunitatem et siccitatem et inopiam, id. Brut. 82, 285.