Lewis & Short

candĭdus, a, um, adj. [candeo], of a shining, dazzling white, white, clear, bright (opp. niger, a glistening black; while albus is a lustreless white, opp. ater, a lustreless black; cf. Serv. ad Verg. G. 3, 82; lsid. Orig. 12, 1, 51; Doed. Syn. III. p. 193 sq.) (class., and in the poets very freq.; in Cic. rare).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.
      1. 1. Of shining objects, bright: stella splendens candida, Plaut. Rud. prol. 3: sidera, Lucr. 5, 1209: luna, Verg. A. 7, 8: lux clara et candida, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 49; so, clarā loco luce, Lucr. 5, 777: stellae, Hor. C. 3, 15, 6: color candidus Saturni, Plin. 2, 18, 16, § 79: flamma, Val. Fl. 8, 247: Taurus (the constellation), Verg. G. 1, 217: dies, Ov. Tr. 2, 142: aqua, Mart, 6, 42, 19: lacte, Varr. ap. Non. p. 483, 6; cf. id. ib. p. 169, 14.
      2. 2. Hence, an epithet of the gods or persons transformed to gods: Cupido, radiant, Cat. 68, 134: Liber, Tib. 3, 6, 1: Bassareus, Hor. C. 1, 18, 11 (cf. id. ib. 1, 2, 31): Daphnis, Verg. E. 5, 56 Wagn.
      3. 3. Of birds, animals, etc., white: anser, Lucr. 4, 685: avis, i. e. the stork, Verg. G. 2, 320; cf. Ov. M. 6, 96: ales, i. e. cygnus, Auct. Aetn. 88: candidior cygnis, Verg. E. 7, 38: aries, id. G. 3, 387: agnus, Tib. 2, 5, 38: equi, Tac. G. 10.
      4. 4. Of the dazzling whiteness of snow: altā nive candidum Soracte, Hor. C. 1, 9, 1; 3, 25, 10; Ov. H. 16, 250; id. M. 8, 373.
      5. 5. Of resplendent beauty of person, splendid, fair, beautiful: Dido, Verg. A. 5, 571: Maia, id. ib. 8, 138 Serv.; cf. Serv. ad Verg. E. 5, 56: candidus et pulcher puer, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 4: puella, Cat. 35, 8; Hor. Epod. 11, 27: dux, id. ib. 3, 9: Lampetie, Ov. M. 2, 349: membra, id. ib. 2, 607: cutis, Plin. 2, 78, 80, § 189: pes, Hor. C. 4, 1, 27: umeri, id. ib. 1, 13, 9: bracchia, Prop. 2 (3), 16, 24: colla, id. 3 (4), 17, 29: cervix, Hor. C. 3, 9, 2: ora, Ov. M. 2, 861: sinus, Tib. 1, 10, 68: dentes, Cat. 39, 1 (cf. candidulus) al.
      6. 6. Of the hair, hoary, white (more poet. than canus), Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 27: candidior barba, Verg. E. 1, 29: crinis, Val. Fl. 6, 60; cf.: inducto candida barba gelu, Ov. Tr. 3, 10, 22.
      7. 7. Of trees or plants: pōpulus, the white or silver poplar, Verg. E. 9, 41: lilia, id. ib. 6, 708; Prop. 1, 20, 38; Ov. M. 4, 355: folium nivei ligustri, id. ib. 13, 789: piper, Plin. 12, 7, 14, § 26.
      8. 8. Of textile fabrics, sails, dress, etc.: vela, Cat. 64, 235: tentoria, Ov. M. 8, 43: vestis, Liv. 9, 40, 9: toga, made brilliant by fulling (cf. Liv. 4, 25, 13; v. candidatus), Plin. 7, 34, 34, § 120; cf. Titinn. ap. Non. p. 536, 23.
        So Cicero’s oration: In Toga Candida, v. the fragments B. and K. vol. xi. p. 20-25; and the commentary of Asconius, Orell. vol. v. 2, p. 82 sq.
        Sup.: candidissimus color, Vitr. 10, 7; cf. Varr. L. L. 8, § 17 Müll.
    2. B. Opp. niger, Lucr. 2, 733; Verg. E. 2, 16; id. G. 3, 387; Plin. 12, 10, 42, § 92.
      Prov.: candida de nigris et de candentibus atra facere, to make black white, Ov. M. 11, 315; so, acc. to some: nigrum in candida vertere, Juv. 3, 30.
    3. C. In the neutr. absol.: ut candido candidius non est adversum, Quint. 2, 17, 35; and with a gen.: candidum ovi, the white of an egg, Plin. 29, 3, 11, § 40 (twice); cf.: album ovi, under album.
    4. * D. Poet. and causative, of the winds, making clear, cloud-dis-pelling, purifying: Favonii, Hor. C. 3, 7, 1.
    5. E. Also poet. for candidatus (= albatus), clothed in white: turba, Tib. 2, 1, 16: pompa, Ov. F. 2, 654; 4, 906: Roma, i. e. Romani, Mart. 8, 65, 6.
  2. F. Candida sententia = candidi lapilli, Ov. M. 15, 47; v. the pass. in connection, and cf. albus, and calculus, II. D.
  3. G. Candidus calculus, v. calculus, II. E.
    Subst.: candĭda, ae, f., a game or play exhibited by a candidate for office (late Lat.): edere candidam, Ambros. Serm. 81.
  4. II. Trop., pure, clear, serene, clean, spotless, etc.
    1. A. Of the voice, distinct, clear, pure, silver-toned (opp. fuscus), Quint. 11, 3, 15; Plin. 28, 6, 16, § 58; perh. also Cic. N. D. 2, 58, 146 (B. and K. with MSS. canorum; cf. Orell. N cr.).
    2. B. Of discourse, clear, perspicuous, flowing, artless, unaffected: elaborant alii in puro et quasi quodam candido genere dicendi, Cic. Or. 16, 53. candidum et lene et speciosum dicendi genus, Quint. 10, 1, 121; Gell. 16, 19, 1.
      And meton. of the orator himself: Messala nitidus et candidus, Quint. 10, 1, 113: dulcis et candidus et fusus Herodotus, id. 10, 1, 73: candidissimum quemque et maxime expositum, id. 2, 5, 19.
    3. C. Of purity of mind, character (poet. and in post-Aug. prose), unblemished, pure, guileless, honest, upright, sincere, fair, candid, frank, open: judex, Hor. Ep. 1, 4, 1 (integer, verax, purus, sine fuco, sine fallaciā, Schol. Crucq.): Maecenas, id. Epod. 14, 5: Furnius, id. S. 1, 10, 86: animae, id. ib. 1, 5, 41: pectore candidus, Ov. P. 4, 14, 43: ingenium, Hor. Epod. 11, 11: habet avunculum quo nihil verius, nihil simplicius, nihil candidius novi, Plin. Ep. 2, 9, 4; Vell. 2, 116, 5: candidissimus omnium magnorum ingeniorum aestimator, Sen. Suas. 6, 22: humanitas, Petr. 129, 11.
    4. D. Of conditions of life, cheerful, joyous, happy, fortunate, prosperous, lucky: convivia, joyful, Prop. 4 (5), 6, 71: nox, id. 2 (3), 15, 1: omina, id. 4 (5), 1, 67: fata, Tib. 3, 6, 30, Ov. Tr. 3, 4, 34: dies. id. ib. 2, 142: pax, Tib. 1, 10, 45: natalis, id. 1, 7, 64; Ov. Tr. 5, 5, 14.
      Hence, adv.: candĭdē.
      1. 1. Acc. to I., in dazzling white’ vestitus, Plaut. Cas. 4, 1, 10.
      2. 2. Acc. to II., clearly, candidly, sincerely: candide et simpliciter, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 6, 1; Quint. 12, 11, 8; Petr. 107, 13.
  5. III. As adj. propr: Candidum Promontorium, in Zeugitana, now C. Bianco, Mel. 1, 7, 2; Plin. 5, 4, 3, § 23.