rustĭcus, a, um, adj. [rus], of or belonging to the country, rural, rustic, country- (very freq. and class.; syn. agrestis; opp. urbanus). I. Lit.: vita
, Varr. R. R. 3, 1, 1; cf.: vita haec rustica, quam tu agrestem vocas
, Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: duae vitae hominum, rustica et urbana
, id. ib. 17, 48: Romani (opp. urbani)
, Varr. R. R. 2, praef. 1; cf. plebes (opp. urbana), Col. praef. 17; praedia
, Cic. Rosc. Am. 15, 42: hortus
, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 15: instrumentum
, Phaedr. 4, 4, 24: opus
, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 90: res
, Cic. de Or. 1, 16, 69; 1, 58, 249; Col. praef. 19 sq.: homo (with agricola)
, Cic. Rosc. Am. 49, 143; id. N. D. 3, 5, 11: colona
, Ov. F. 2, 645; cf. Phidyle
, Hor. C. 3, 23, 2: mus (opp. urbanus)
, id. S. 2, 6, 80; 115: gallinae
, heathcocks
, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 16; Col. 8, 2, 1 sq. (cf. infra, B. 2. b.): numina
, Ov. M. 1, 192: fistula
, id. ib. 8, 191: sedulitas
, id. F. 6, 534: regna
, id. H. 4, 132: opprobria versibus alternis
, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 146: carcer
, Juv. 14, 24.—B. Substt. 1. ru-stĭcus, i, m., a countryman, rustic, peasant; in plur.: rustici, country people, rustics: urbani fiunt rustici, etc.
, Plaut. Mere. 4, 3, 15 sq.: omnes urbani, rustici
, Cic. Fin. 2, 23, 77; cf. id. Or. 24, 81; semper occant prius quam sarriunt rustici
, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 5; id. Most. 5, 1, 28; Col. 2, 4, 8; 9, 10 et saep.—In sing., Ov. M. 2, 699; Hor. Epod. 2, 68; id. Ep. 1, 7, 83; 2, 2, 39; Vulg. Sap. 17, 16.—2. rustĭca, ae, f. a. A country girl, Ov. M. 5, 583.—b. (Sc. gallina.) A heath-cock, Mart. 13, 76 (cf. supra, A., and rusticulus, II. B.).—II. Transf., countrylike, rustic, simple, in a good or (more freq.) in a bad sense, i. e. plain, simple, provincial, rough, coarse, gross, awkward, clownish, etc. (in this sense not freq. till after the Aug. period; previously, as in Cic., agrestis was more used): rustica vox et agrestis quosdam delectat, etc.... neque solum rusticam asperitatem, sed etiam peregrinam insolentiam fugere discamus
, Cic. de Or. 3, 11, 42; 12, 44: pro bardā et pro rusticā haberi
, Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 2: rusticus inlitteratusque litigator
, Quint. 2, 21, 16: manus (with indoctae)
, id. 1, 11, 16; cf. with indoctus
, id. 12, 10, 53; with barbarus
, id. 2, 20, 6; (opp. disertus) 7, 1, 43: id vitium sermonis non barbarum esse, sed rusticum
, Gell. 13, 6, 2: Germana illuvies, rusticus, hircus, hara suis, etc.
, a lout
, clown
, Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 39 Lorenz ad loc.: rusticus es, Corydon
, Verg. E. 2, 56: quid coeptum, rustice, rumpis iter?
Ov. Am. 3, 6, 88: addidit obscenis convicia rustica dictis
, id. M. 14, 522: sive procax aliqua est; capior, quia rustica non est
, very prudish
, id. Am. 2, 4, 13; cf. id. A. A. 1, 607: nec tamen est, quamvis agros amet illa feraces, Rustica
, id. Am. 3, 10, 18.—In a good sense: mores
, Cic. Rosc. Am. 27, 75: veritas
, Mart. 10, 72, 11. —Comp.: simus hoc titulo rusticiore contenti
, Sen. Ep. 88, 33.—Hence, adv.: ru-stĭcē (acc. to II.), in a countrified manner, clownishly, boorishly, awkwardly: loquinon aspere, non vaste, non rustice
, Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45: urgere
, id. Off. 3, 9, 39: facere aliquid
, id. Att. 12, 36, 2: cum eo vitio loquentes rustice loqui dictitabant
, Gell. 13, 6, 2.— Comp.: rusticius toga defluit
, Hor. S. 1, 3, 31.—Sup. does not occur.