Lewis & Short

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1. castus, a, um, adj. [i. e. cas-tus, partic., kindr. to Sanscr. çludh, to cleanse; Gr. καθ-αρός; Germ. keusch, heiter; cf. the opp. in-ces-tus, impure, Bopp, Gloss. 351, 6; Pott. 1, 252].

  1. I. In gen., morally pure, unpolluted, spotless, guiltless, = purus, integer (gen. in respect to the person himself, while candidus signifies pure, just, in respect to other men; v. Doed. Syn. p. 196 sq.; class. in prose and poetry): castus animus purusque, Cic. Div. 1, 53, 121; cf.: vita purissima et castissima, id. Rosc. Com. 6, 17; and: quis hoc adulescente castior? quis modestior? quis autem illo qui maledicit impurior? id. Phil. 3, 6, 15: perjurum castus (fraudasse dicatur), id. Rosc. Com. 7, 21: castissimum quoque hominem ad peccandum potuisse impellere, id. Inv. 2, 11, 36: nulli fas casto sceleratum insistere limen, Verg. A. 6, 563: populus Et frugi castusque verecundusque, Hor. A. P. 207: qui (animi) se integros castosque servavissent, Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 72; cf. id. Font. 10, 22; id. Cael. 18, 42: M. Crassi castissima domus, id. ib. 4, 9: signa, signs, indications of innocence, Ov. M. 7, 725: fides, inviolable, Sil. 13, 285: Saguntum, id. 3, 1.
    With ab: decet nos esse a culpā castos, Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 23; so, res familiaris casta a cruore civili, Cic. Phil. 13, 4, 8.
  2. II. In respect to particular virtues.
    1. A. Most freq., esp. in poetry, in regard to sexual morality, pure, chaste, unpolluted, virtuous, continent: Latona, Enn. Trag. 424 Vahl.; cf. Minerva, Hor. C. 3, 3, 23; Cat. 16, 5; 62, 23; Tib. 1, 3, 83; Ov. M. 2, 544; 2, 711: hostia = Iphigenia, Lucr. 1, 98: Bellerophon, Hor. C. 3, 7, 15: matres, Verg. A. 8, 665: maritae, Ov. F. 2, 139.
      With ab: castus ab rebus venereis, Col. 9, 14, 3.
      Of inanimate things: lectulus, Cat. 64, 87: cubile, id. 66, 83: flos virginis, id. 62, 46: gremium, id. 65, 20: vultus, Ov. M. 4, 799: domus, Cat. 64, 385; Hor. C. 4, 5, 21 al.
        1. b. Trop., of style, free from barbarisms, pure: Caius Caesar sermonis praeter alios suae aetatis castissimi, Gell. 19, 8, 3.
    2. B. In a religious respect, pious, religious, holy, sacred, = pius: hac casti maneant in religione nepotes, Verg. A. 3, 409 Wagn.
      So, Aeneas (for which elsewhere pius in Verg.), Hor. C. S. 42: sacerdotes, Verg. A. 6, 661: et sanctus princeps, Plin. Pan. 1, 3: ego qui castam contionem, sanctum campum defendo (in respect to the preceding: in Campo Martio, comitiis centuriatis auspicato in loco), Cic. Rab. Perd. 4, 11.
      Of things: sacrae, religiosae castaeque res, Varr. ap. Non. p. 267, 8: haud satis castum donum deo, Cic. Leg. 2, 18, 45; cf. festa, Ov. Am. 3, 13, 3: taedae, Verg. A. 7, 71 Serv.: ara castis Vincta verbenis, Hor. C. 4, 11, 6: crines, Ov. M. 15, 675: laurus, Tib. 3, 4, 23: castior amnis (sc. Musarum), Stat. S. 4, 7, 12; cf.: castum flumen (on account of the nymphs), Claud. III. Cons. Stil. 260: luci, Hor. C. 1, 12, 59: nemus, Tac. G. 40: pura castaque mens, Plin. Pan. 3 fin.: casta mola genus sacrificii, quod Vestales virgines faciebant, Paul. ex Fest. p. 65 Müll.
      As epith. ornans of poetry, since it is used in defence of the Deity: casta poesis, Varr. ap. Non. p. 267, 14 (it is erroneously explained by Non. by suavis, jucundus).
      1. 2. Hence, subst.: castum, i, n., a festival, or period of time consecrated to a god, during which strict continence was enjoined, Fest. p. 124, 25 Müll.: Isidis et Cybeles, Tert. Jejun. 16.
    3. C. In respect to the property and rights of others, free from, abstinent, disinterested: manus, Varr. ap. Non. p. 267, 12: homo castus ac non cupidus, Cic. Sest. 43, 93: castissimus homo atque integerrimus, id. Fl. 28, 68.
      Adv.: castē.
    1. A. (Acc. to I.) Purely, spotlessly, without stain, uprightly: agere aetatem suam, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 149: et integre vivere, Cic. Fin. 4, 23, 63; id. Imp. Pomp. 1, 2.
    2. B. (Acc. to II. A.) Chastely, virtuously: caste se habere a servis, C. Gracch. ap. Gell. 15, 12, 3: tueri eloquentiam ut adultam virginem, Cic. Brut. 95, 330.
      Of language, properly, correctly, classically: caste pureque linguā Latinā uti, Gell. 17, 2, 7.
      1. 2. (Acc. to II. B.) Piously, religiously: placare deos, Ov. P. 2, 1, 33; cf. Cic. N. D. 1, 2, 3; Suet. Aug. 6.
        Comp., Liv. 10, 7, 5.
        Sup., Cic. Fam. 14, 4, 1.

2. castus, ūs (abl. heterocl. casto, Tert. Jejun. 16; Fest. s. v. minuitur, p. 154, 6 Müll.), m. [1. castus], ante- and post-class. for castimonia, an abstinence from sensual enjoyments on religious grounds, Naev. ap. Non. p. 197, 16; Varr. ib.; Gell. 10, 15, 1; Arn. 5, p. 167.