Lewis & Short

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2. sĕnectūs, ūtis,f. [senex].

  1. I. Old age, extreme age, senility (freq. and class.; only in sing.): adulescentia (tua) senectuti dedecoramentum (fuit), senectus rei publicae flagitium, C. Gracch. ap. Isid. Orig. 2, 21, 4; cf.: quasi qui adulescentiam florem aetatis, senectutem occasum vitae velit definire, Cic. Top. 7, 32: ut in Catone Majore, qui est scriptus ad te de senectute … ut tum ad senem senex de senectute, sic, etc., id. Lael. 1, 4 sq.; cf. id. Sen. 1 sqq.: T. Aufidius, qui vixit ad summam senectutem, id. Brut. 48, 179: cum esset summā senectute et perditā valetudine, id. Phil. 8, 10, 31: confecti homines senectute, id. Fin. 5, 11, 33: ted optestor per senectutem tuam, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 3: ibi fovebo senectutem meam, id. Stich. 4, 1, 62; Ter. And. 5, 3, 16; id. Ad. 5, 3, 47; id. Hec. 1, 2, 44 al.; Caecil. ap. Cic. Sen. 8, 25; Lucr. 1, 414; Cic. Rep. 1, 3, 4; 5, 8, 10; id. Fin. 5, 11, 32; id. de Or. 1, 60, 255 et saep.; Cat. 108, 1; Tib. 2, 2, 19; Verg. G. 3, 67; id. A. 5, 416; 6, 304; 7, 440; Ov. M. 14, 143; Luc. 1, 343; 2, 128; Stat. S. 3, 3, 156; Tac. A. 1, 4; 6, 31; 12, 40; 14, 40: dum virent genua, Et decet, obductā solvatur fronte senectus, the moroseness of old age, Hor. Epod. 13, 5; cf.: quae vos tam foeda senectus corripuit, fregitque animos? Val. Fl. 6, 283.
    Of style; only trop., and hence with quasi: cum ipsa oratio jam nostra canesceret haberetque suam quandam maturitatem et quasi senectutem, Cic. Brut. 2, 8: plena litteratae senectutis oratio, id. ib. 76, 265.
    Of inanim. things (for vetustas; only poet. and very rare): vos (tabellae) cariosa senectus Rodat, Ov. Am. 1, 12, 29: vini veteris, Juv. 5, 34; 13, 214.
    Prov.: aquilae senectus, v. aquila.
  2. II. Transf.
      1. 1. Personified, the goddess of old age, Old Age: tristis Senectus, Verg. A. 6, 275.
      2. 2. Old age, i. e. old men: senectus semper agens aliquid, Cic. Sen. 8, 26; cf. id. ib. 14, 48; cf.: aequari adulescentes senectae suae impatienter indoluit, Tac. A. 4, 17.
      3. 3. Gray hairs: temporibus geminis canebat sparsa senectus, Verg. A. 5, 416.
      4. 4. The old skin, slough, cast off yearly by serpents and other animals: Theophrastus auctor est, anguis modo et stelliones senectutem exuere eamque protinus devorare, Plin. 8, 31, 49, § 111; 9, 30, 50, § 95; 30, 7, 19, § 57; 30, 9, 23, § 81; cf. senecta, supra, II. B.