sĭtis, is (abl. site, Ven. Carm. 2, 13, 3; acc. sitem, Prud. στεφ. 2, 250), f. [etym. dub.; perh. akin with siccus], thirst (class.; used only in sing.).
- I. Lit.: demum fodere puteum, ubi sitis fauces tenet, Plaut. Most. 2, 1, 33; cf.: tibi cum fauces urit sitis, Hor. S. 1, 2, 114: siti sicca sum, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 26: anum interfecero siti fameque atque algu, id. Most. 1, 3, 36; id. Rud. 2, 2, 7; cf.: cum cibo et potione fames sitisque depulsa est, Cic. Fin. 1, 11, 37: explere diuturnam sitim, id. Sen. 8, 26; cf.: ut sitim nostro possis explere cruore, Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 57: ubi quarta sitim caeli collegerit hora, excited, Verg. G. 3, 327: fessa labore sitim collegerat, had become thirsty, Ov. M. 5, 446: sitim tolerare, Tac. G. 4: exstinguere sitim, Ov. M. 7, 569: restinguere, Verg. E. 5, 47: pellere, Hor. C. 2, 2, 14; Stat. Th. 5, 1: finire, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 146: sedare, Lucr. 2, 663; 4, 850; 5, 945; Ov. M. 3, 415: famem ac sitim sedare, Plin. 11, 53, 119, § 284; Tac. H. 2, 49: levare, Ov. M. 12, 156; 15, 322: relevare, id. ib. 6, 354 al.: compescere, id. ib. 4, 102: deponere, id. ib. 4, 98: defendere fonte, Sil. 7, 170: avertere, id. 8, 572: reprimere, Curt. 7, 5, 7: pomi sitim faciunt, provoke, Plin. 23, 7, 70, § 135: sucus, qui sitim stimulet, id. 23, 7, 67, § 132: sitim adferunt (fici), id. 23, 7, 63, § 121: accendit, id. 11, 2, 1, § 3; Curt. 7, 5, 2: in lassitudine et in siti, Plin. 22, 24, 51, § 111: excessit sitim potio, was more than enough for, Cels. 1, 2: ardere siti, Claud. in Ruf. 1, 104: sitis arida guttur Urit, Ov. M. 11, 129.
- B. Transf., of things (places, plants, etc.), dryness, drought, aridity (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): et Canis arenti torreat arva siti, Tib. 1, 4, 42; Verg. G. 2, 353: deserta siti regio, id. A. 4, 42: haurit sitis ignea campos, Stat. Th. 4, 699: sitis aestatis restinguitur fontibus, i. e. of plants, Col. 11, 3, 9; Plin. 19, 2, 8, § 29 al.
- II. Trop., strong or ardent desire, greediness, thirst: cupiditatis sitis, Cic. Par. 1, 1, 6.
With gen. obj.: libertatis, Cic. Rep. 1, 43, 66: cruoris, Ov. M. 13, 768: argenti sitis importuna famesque, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 23: sitis major famae quam virtutis, Juv. 10, 140: audiendi, Quint. 6, 3, 19.