Lewis & Short

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sterno, strāvi, strātum, 3 (pluperf. sync. strarat, Manil. 1, 774: strasset, Varr. ap. Non. 86, 8), v. a. [Gr. root ΣΤΟΡ, στορέννυμι, to spread; στρατός, camp; Sanscr. star- strnāmi = sterno; cf.: strages, struo, torus, and lātus, adj., old Lat. stlatus], to spread out, spread abroad; to stretch out, extend.

  1. I. Lit. (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose; in Cic. only in the part. perf.; cf.: effundo, extendo, subicio, subdo): vestes, Ov. M. 8, 658: in duro vellus solo, id. F. 4, 654: bubulos utres ponte, Plin. 6, 29, 34, § 176: hic glarea dura Sternitur, Tib. 1, 7, 60: natas sub aequore virgas Sternit, i. e. scatters, strews, Ov. M. 4, 743: harenam, id. F. 3, 813; id. Am. 2, 14, 8: herbas, id. M. 7, 254: poma passim, Verg. E. 7, 54: spongeas ad lunam et pruinas, Plin. 31, 11. 47, § 123: arma per flores, Grat. Cyneg. 487: fessi sternunt corpora, stretch out their bodies, lie down, Liv. 27, 47, 9; cf.: sternunt se somno diversae in litore phocae, Verg. G. 4, 432.
    Mid.: sternimur optatae gremio telluris, Verg. A. 3, 509; and: in Capitolinas certatim scanditur arces Sternunturque Jovi, Sil. 12, 340.
    Part. perf.: strātus, a, um, stretched out, lying down, prostrate (syn. prostratus): strata terrae, Enn. ap. Non. 172, 20 (Trag. v. 370 Vahl.): nos humi strati, Cic. de Or. 3, 6, 22: quidam somno etiam strati, Liv. 37, 20, 5: ad pedes strati, Cic. Att. 10, 4, 3: stratum jacere et genua complecti, Quint. 6, 1, 34: nunc viridi membra sub arbuto Stratus, Hor. C. 1, 1, 21.
      1. 2. Of places, to extend: insulae Frisiorum, Chaucorum, etc. … sternuntur inter Helium ac Flevum, stretch out, extend, Plin. 4, 15, 29, § 101; 3, 5, 9, § 60; hence, vites stratae, spreading, Col. 5, 4, 2 (for Nep. Milt. 5, 3, v. under rarus, II. A.).
    1. B. In partic., to spread a thing out flat, i. e. to smooth, level (mostly poet.): sternere aequor aquis, Verg. A. 8, 89; cf.: placidi straverunt aequora venti, id. ib. 5, 763: nunc omne tibi stratum silet aequor, id. E. 9, 57: pontum, Ov. M. 11, 501: mare, Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 125: stratoque super discumbitur ostro, Verg. A. 1, 700: viam per mare, smoothed, levelled, Lucr. 3, 1030 (acc. to the Gr. ὁδὸν στορέννυμι): stratum militari labore iter, Quint. 2, 13, 16; so, hoc iter Alpes, Hoc Cannae stravere tibi, Sil. 12, 514; and trop.: praesens tibi fama benignum Stravit iter, Stat. Th. 12, 813.
      1. * 2. Trop. (the figure borrowed from the sea), to calm, still, moderate: odia militum, Tac. H. 1, 58 (cf.: constrata ira, Stat. S. 2, 5, 1).
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. To cover, cover over (by spreading something out; the predom. class. signif. of the word; cf. obtendo).
      1. 1. Of a couch, bed, etc., to spread, prepare, arrange, make: lectus vestimentis stratus est, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 30; cf.: strata cubilia sunt herbis, Lucr. 5, 1417: rogatus est a Maximo, ut triclinium sterneret … Atque ille stravit pelliculis haedinis lectulos Punicanos, Cic. Mur. 36, 75; so, lectum, lectos, biclinium, triclinia, etc., Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 33; id. Most. 1, 4, 14; id. Men. 2, 3, 3; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 70; id. Ps. 1, 2, 31; Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 73; id. Ad. 2, 4, 21; Cic. Clu. 5, 14; id. Tusc. 5, 21, 61; Hirt. B. G. 8, 51: his foliis cubitus sternere, Plin. 24, 9, 38, § 59: torum frondibus, Juv. 6, 5: strata cathedra, cushioned, id. 9, 52; cf. also, ARCERAM NE STERNITO, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 25; and absol.: jubet sterni sibi in primā domus parte (sc. lectum), Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 7.
      2. 2. Esp., places, to cover; of a way, road, path, etc., to pave: aspreta erant strata saxis, Liv. 9, 35, 2: via strata, id. 8, 15, 8: semitam saxo quadrato straverunt, id. 10, 23 fin.; so, vias silice … clivum Capitolinum silice … emporium lapide, id. 41, 27, 5 sq.; and absol.: locum illum sternendum locare, Cic. Att. 14, 15, 2: pavimentum stratum lapide, Vulg. Ezech. 40, 17: viam lapide, Dig. 43, 11, 1.
      3. 3. To saddle: equos, Liv. 37, 20, 12; 37, 20, 4; Veg. 5, 77: asinum, Vulg. Gen. 22, 3.
      4. 4. In gen., to cover, spread: argento sternunt iter omne viarum, Lucr. 2, 626: foliis nemus Multis et algā litus inutili tempestas Sternet, will strew over, bestrew, Hor. C. 3, 17, 12: congeriem silvae vellere summam, Ov. M. 9, 236: litora nive, Val. Fl. 5, 175: harenam Circi chrysocolla, Plin. 33, 5, 27, § 90: solum telis, Verg. A. 9, 666: Tyrrhenas valles caedibus, Sil. 6, 602: strati bacis silvestribus agri, Verg. G. 2, 183: ante aras terram caesi stravere juvenci, covered, id. A. 8, 719.
    2. B. To stretch out by flinging down, to throw down, stretch on the ground, throw to the ground, overthrow, prostrate (mostly poet., esp. in Verg.; in prose not before the Aug. period; in Cic. only once in the trop. sense; v. the foll.; cf. profligo): cujus casus prolapsi cum proximos sterneret, Liv. 5, 47: circa jacentem ducem sterne Gallorum catervas, id. 7, 26, 8: turbam invadite ac sternite omnia ferro, id. 24, 38, 7: alius sit fortis in armis, Sternat et adversos Marte favente duces, Tib. 1, 10, 30: caede viros, Verg. A. 10, 119: aliquem leto, id. ib. 8, 566: morte, id. ib. 11, 796; Liv. 31, 21, 15; Ov. M. 12, 604: adversā prensis a fronte capillis Stravit humi pronam, id. ib. 2, 477: primosque et extremos Stravit humum, Hor. C. 4, 14, 32: sternitur volnere, Verg. A. 10, 781: impetus per stratos caede hostes, Liv. 4, 29, 1: aliquem morti, Verg. A. 12, 464: irae Thyesten exitio gravi Stravere, Hor. C. 1, 16, 18: corpore toto Sternitur in vultus, Stat. Th. 12, 318: sternitur, et toto projectus corpore terrae, Verg. A. 11, 87: toto praecipitem sternit, Sil. 4, 182: hostes, Just. 2, 11, 13: Ajax stravit ferro pecus, Hor. S. 2, 3, 202: sternitur et procumbit humi bos, Verg. A. 5, 481: strata belua texit humum, Ov. H. 10, 106: rapidus torrens Sternit agros, sternit sata laeta, Verg. A. 2, 306: moenia, to overthrow, demolish, Ov. M. 12, 550; cf.: stratis ariete muris, Liv. 1, 29, 2: sternit a culmine Trojam, Verg. A. 2, 603; so, (elephanti) stabula Indorum dentibus sternunt, Plin. 8, 9, 9, § 27.
      1. 2. Trop. (rare): deorum plagā perculsi, afflictos se et stratos esse fatentur, cast down, prostrated, Cic. Tusc. 3, 29, 72: mortalia corda Per gentes humiles stravit pavor, Verg. G. 1, 331: virtus populi Romani haec omnia strata humi erexit ac sustulit, Liv. 26, 41, 12: stratā Germaniā, subdued, Amm. 16, 1, 5.
        Hence, strātus, a, um, P. a.; as substt.
    1. A. strāta, ae, f. (sc. via), a paved road or way (post-class.), Eutr. 9, 15: amplas sternite jam stratas, Juvenc. 1, 315: in margine stratae, id. 3, 656.
    2. B. strātum, i, n. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic.; acc. to II. A.).
      1. 1. A bed-covering, a coverlet, quilt, blanket; a pillow, bolster: lecti mollia strata, Lucr. 4, 849: proripere se e strato, Suet. Calig. 51; Ov. M. 5, 34; 10, 267.
        1. b. Meton. (pars pro toto), a bed, couch: haud segnis strato surgit Palinurus, Verg. A. 3, 513; cf. id. ib. 8, 415; 3, 176: tale, Nep. Ages. 8: quies neque molli strato neque silentio arcessita, Liv. 21, 4, 7.
          Plur.: strataque quae membris intepuere tuis, Ov. H. 10, 54: dura, id. Am. 1, 2, 2; Luc. 1, 239.
          Once also (sc. lectus) in the masc., Favorin. ap. Gell. 15, 8, 2.
      2. 2. A horsecloth, housing, a saddle, Ov. M. 8, 33; Liv. 7, 14, 7; Sen. Ep. 80, 9; Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 202.
        Prov.: qui asinum non potest, stratum caedit (v. asinum), Petr. 45, 8.
      3. 3. A pavement: saxea viarum, Lucr. 1, 315; 4, 415: extraneum, Petr. poët. 55, 6, 11.

strātum, i, v. sterno fin.