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.

vātes (vātis, Cic. Div. 2, 5, 12 Christ.), is (gen. plur. vatium, id. Leg. 2, 8, 20 al.), comm. [perh. kindr. with Sanscr. vad, dicere, loqui; cf.: vas, vadis, and old Irish, fáith], a foreteller, seer, soothsayer, prophet.

  1. I. Lit.: bonus vates poteras esse: nam quae sunt futura dicis, Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 37: falsus utinam vates sim, Liv. 21, 10, 10; 4, 46, 5; 36, 15, 2; Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132 (Trag. v. 356 Vahl.); Lucr. 1, 102; Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20; id. N. D. 1, 20, 55; Liv. 25, 1, 8; 39, 8, 3; 39, 16, 8; Sall. H. 1, 48, 3 Dietsch; Verg. G. 3, 491; 4, 387; 4, 392; id. A. 3, 246; 5, 524; Hor. S. 2, 5, 6 al.
    Fem.: tuque, o sanctissima vates, Praescia venturi, Verg. A. 6, 65: vatis sub tecta Sibyllae, id. ib. 6, 211; 3, 187; 6, 636; Sen. Troad. 37.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A poet; a poetess (the oldest name for a poet; but it fell into contempt, and was discarded for poëta, until restored to honor by Vergil; v. Munro ad Lucr. 1, 102; Müll. de re Metr. p. 65 sq.): versibu’ quos olim Fauni vatesque canebant, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 19, 76 (Ann. v. 222 Vahl.); Verg. E. 7, 27; 9, 34; Hor. C. 1, 1, 35; 2, 20, 3; 4, 6, 44; 4, 9, 28; Tac. Or. 9; Quint. 10, 1, 48; 12, 10, 24; Plin. 14, 4, 6, § 56; cf. Varr. L. L. 7, § 36 Müll.
      Fem.: sola tuum vates Lesbia vincit opus, i.e. Sappho, Ov. Tr. 3, 7, 20.
    2. B. An oracle, i. e. a teacher, master, authority in any art or profession (post-Aug. and rare): Herophilus medicinae vates mirandā arte, Plin. 11, 37, 88, § 219: Q. Scaevola legum clarissimus et certissimus vates, Val. Max. 8, 12, 1.

vătĭus, a, um, adj., bent outwards: (canes) sint cruribus rectis et potius varis quam vatiis, Varr. R. R. 2, 9, 4; hence, of persons with legs bent out wards, bowlegged: quaesitum est, an balbus et blaesus … et varus et vatius sanus sit, Dig. 21, 1, 10 fin.; Mart. 12, 70, 1.
Subst.: vătĭa, ae, m., a bowlegged man: imitari vatias, Varr. L. L. 9, § 10 Müll.; cf. Plin. 11, 45, 105, § 204.