Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

prŏtervē, adv., v. protervus fin. A.

prŏtervus, a, um, adj. [protero; qs. trampling on every thing; hence], violent, vehement.

  1. I. Lit. (poet.): venti, Hor. C. 1, 26, 2: Africus, id. Epod. 16, 22: Eurus, Ov. H. 11, 14: stella canis, scorching, oppressive, id. Am. 2, 16, 4.
  2. II. Trop., forward, bold, pert, wanton, shameless, impudent (class.; generally milder than procax and petulans; v. protervitas): petulans protervo animo sum, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 3, 1: homo, Cic. Fin. 5, 12, 35; 1, 18, 61: dictum aut factum, id. ib. 2, 14, 47: vidua, id. Cael. 16, 38: Satyri, turba proterva, Ov. H. 5, 136: juvenes, Hor. C. 1, 25, 2: rixae, id. ib. 3, 14, 26: frons, id. ib. 2, 5, 15: oculi, Ov. H. 17, 77: manus, id. M. 5, 671: Musa, id. R. Am. 362: lingua, id. Ib. 520: sal protervum, ribald wit, Mart. 10, 9, 2.
    Comp.: meretrix protervior, Just. 30, 2, 2.
    Hence, adv., in two forms, proterve and proterviter.
    1. A. prŏtervē.
      1. 1. In a bad sense, boldly, wantonly, shamelessly, impudently (class.): aedes arietare, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 1: proterve iracundus, Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 53 (immoderate, superbe, Don.): consectans aliquem proterve, Cic. Rep. 1, 44, 68.
        Comp., Ov. A. A. 1, 599.
        Sup., Aug. Civ. Dei, 5, 22.
      2. 2. In a good sense, boldly, with spirit: confidenter pro se et proterve loqui, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 207.
    2. B. prŏtervĭter, boldly, wantonly, shamelessly, impudently, Enn. ap. Non. 513, 11 (Com. v. 8 Vahl.).