Lewis & Short

sĭtĭo, īvi or ĭi, 4, v. n. and a. [sitis].

  1. I. Neutr., to thirst, be thirsty (class.).
    1. A. Lit.: ego esurio et sitio, Plaut. Cas. 3, 6, 6; 4, 3, 4: sitit haec anus, id. Curc. 1, 2, 14: in medio sitit flumine potans, Lucr. 4, 1100: ne homines sitirent, Suet. Aug. 42.
      With gen.: cochleae cum sitiunt aëris, Symm. Ep. 1, 27.
      Prov.: sitire mediis in undis, i. e. to be poor in the midst of wealth, Ov. M. 9, 760.
    2. B. Transf. (esp. in the lang. of country people), of things (the earth, plants, etc.), to be dried up or parched, to want moisture: siquidem est eorum (rusticorum) gemmare vites, sitire agros, laetas esse segetes, etc., Cic. Or. 24, 81; cf.: sitire segetes, Quint. 8, 6, 6: tosta sitit tellus, Ov. F. 4, 940: colles, Front. Aquaed. 87; cf. infra, P. a.: aret ager; vitio moriens sitit aëris herba, Verg. E. 7, 57: cum sitiunt herbae, id. G. 4, 402: arbores, Plin. 17, 26, 40, § 249: cacumina oleae, id. 17, 14, 24, § 103 et saep.: ipsi fontes jam sitiunt, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 4, § 11: nec pati sitire salgama, to be dry, Col. 12, 9, 2.
  2. II. Act., to thirst after a thing (rare, but in the trop. signif. class.; cf.: cupio, desidero).
    1. A. Lit.: auriferum Tagum sitiam patriumque Salonem, Mart. 10, 96, 3.
      Pass.: quo plus sunt potae, plus sitiuntur aquae, are thirsted for, Ov. F. 1, 216: umor quomodo sititur destillans, Plin. 17, 2, 2, § 15.
    2. B. Trop., as in all langg., to long for, thirst for, desire eagerly, covet: sanguinem nostrum sitiebat, Cic. Phil. 2, 7, 20; cf. Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 148: sanguinem, Just. 1, 8 fin. (opp. satiare); Sen. Thyest. 103: cruorem, Poët. ap. Suet. Tib. 59; cf.: sitit hasta cruores, Stat. Th. 12, 595: honores, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 5, 3: populus libertatem sitiens, id. Rep. 1, 43, 66: ultionem, Val. Max. 7, 3 ext. 6; Vulg. Psa. 41, 3.
      With gen.: non quidem fallacis undae sitit, sed verae beatitudinis esurit et sitit, App. de Deo Socr. 54, 27.
      Hence, sĭtĭens, entis, P. a., thirsting, thirsty, athirst.
    1. A. Lit.: ut ipse ad portam sitiens pervenerim, Cic. Pis. 25, 61: quae (pocula) arenti sitientes hausimus ore, Ov. M. 14, 277: Tantalus, Hor. S. 1, 1, 68: viator, Ov. Am. 3, 6, 97: saecla ferarum, Lucr. 5, 947: sitienti aqua datur, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 23.
      1. 2. Transf. (acc. to I. B.), of places, plants, etc., dry, parched, arid, without moisture (syn. aridus): hortus, Ov. P. 1, 8, 60.
        By metonymy also, Afri, Verg. E. 1, 65: olea, Plin. 15, 3, 3, § 9: luna, i. e. cloudless, bright, id. 17, 9, 8, § 57; 17, 14, 24, § 112: Canicula, arid, parching, Ov. A. A. 2, 231.
        Neutr. plur. absol.: lonchitis nascitur in sitientibus, in dry, arid places, Plin. 25, 11, 88, § 137; so, in sitientibus aut siccis asperis, id. 12, 28, 61, § 132.
        With gen.: sitientia Africae, Plin. 10, 73, 94, § 201.
    2. B. Trop., thirsting for, desiring eagerly, greedy: gravius ardentiusque sitiens, Cic. Tusc. 5, 6, 16: (amator) avidus sitiensque, Ov. R. Am. 247: regna Ditis, Petr. poët. 121, 116: aures, Cic. Att. 2, 14, 1.
      Poet.: modice sitiens lagena, of moderate capacity, Pers. 3, 92.
      With gen.: virtutis, Cic. Planc. 5, 13: famae, Sil. 3, 578: pecuniae (with avarus et avidus), Gell. 12, 2, 13: sermonis, Claud. Cons. Mall. Theod. 251.
      Hence, adv.: sĭtĭenter, thirstily, eagerly, greedily (acc. to B.): sitienter quid expetens, Cic. Tusc. 4, 17, 37; so, incumbere hauriendis voluptatibus, Lact. 2, 1, 3: haurire salutares illas aquas, App. M. 9, p. 218 fin.; 3, p. 135, 35.