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I. Act., to diversify, variegate, change (class.).

A. Lit.: (principia) omne genus gignunt variantque colores, Lucr. 2, 759: maculis ortum (sol), Verg. G. 1, 441: caeruleis corpora guttis, Ov. M. 4, 578: tempora cani, id. ib. 12, 465: capillos (gemma), id. Am. 1, 2, 41: ubi caeruleum variabunt sidera caelum, id. F. 3, 449: variare virgis et loris, to beat of all colors, black and blue, Plaut. Poen. prol. 26: putrida pectora palmis, Cat. 64, 352: vestes picto auro, Val. Fl. 3, 11: variante se uvā, becoming colored, turning, Plin. 17, 22, 35, 189; for which mid.: simulatque uva variari coeperit, Col. Arb. 12, 1.—In part. perf.: vestis priscis hominum variata figuris, variegated, embroidered, Cat. 64, 50: pluribus ille (anguis) notis variatam pingitur alvum, Luc. 9, 713: arcus vix ullā variatus luce colorem, id. 4, 79: eluere calculos nigros paulum candore variatos, Plin. 34, 16, 47, 157.—Poet.: formas variatus in omnes, changed, metamorphosed, Ov. M. 12, 559.—

B. Trop., to cause to change, make different or various; to alter, change, vary, interchange, cause to alternate, etc.: vocem variare et mutare, Cic. Or. 18, 59; so, aliquid (with mutare), Gell. 14, 1, 9: orationem variare et distinguere, Cic. de Or. 2, 9, 36: ergo ille variabit (vocem) et mutabit, id. Or. 18, 59: voluptatem (with distinguere), id. Fin. 1, 11, 38: qui variare cupit rem prodigialiter unam, Hor. A. P. 29: in oratione multa summittere, variare, disponere, Quint. 2, 12, 10; cf. id. 2, 13, 8; 11, 3, 152: cum timor atque ira in vicem sententias variassent, Liv. 2, 57, 2: vices, Verg. A. 9, 164: bellum variante fortunā eventum ferre, with varying success, Liv. 23, 5, 8: et variebant secundae adversaeque res non fortunam magis quam animos hominum, id. 25, 1, 6: fremitus variantis multitudinis fuit partim adsensu partim indignatione, id. 35, 31, 13: ex vernā intemperie variante calores frigoraque, id. 22, 2, 10: laborem otio, otium labore, Plin. Ep. 8, 8, 4: variatis hominum sententiis, i. e. various, at variance, Cic. Mil. 3, 8: quae de Marcelli morte variant auctores, report differently, vary, Liv. 27, 27, 12; cf.: certe variata memoria actae rei, id. 21, 28, 5.—Impers. pass.: sitne ea (beata vita) in potestate sapientis, an, etc.... in eo nonnumquam variari inter eos et dubitari videtur, Cic. Fin. 5, 5, 12: senatus consuli coeptus; ibi cum sententiis variaretur, were of different opinions, Liv. 22, 60, 3; cf.: variatum deinde proeliis, fought with varying success, Vell. 2, 51, 3: nisi de familiae condicione variatum esset, i. e. differently reported, Suet. Vit. 1.—

II. Neutr., to be diversified, variegated; to change, alter, waver, vary, etc.

A. Lit.: prima mihi variat liventibus uva racemis, becomes variegated, colored, Prop. 4 (5), 2, 13: bacae, Col. 12, 52, 9: variant ostrea coloribus, are different, Plin. 32, 6, 21, 60: universitas (arietum) tergoris maculis, Col. 7, 3, 2: inter se multum variare figurae Non possunt, Lucr. 2, 484; cf. id. 4, 648: variantes edere formas, id. 5, 722; cf.: volucres variantibu' formis, id. 5, 825: non ita Carpathiae variant Aquilonibus undae, fluctuate, Prop. 2, 5, 11.—

B. Trop., to be various or different; to change, vary; absol.: variante fortunā, Liv. 23, 5, 8: inpatiens variantis caeli, Plin. 14, 2, 4, 28: sic abeunt redeuntque mei variantque timores, Ov. Tr. 2, 153: dissidet et variat sententia, id. M. 15, 648: ita fama variat, ut, etc., Liv. 27, 27, 14. —With abl.: haec de tanto viro, quamquam et opinionibus et monumentis litterarum variarent, proponenda erant, Liv. 38, 57, 8: si (lex) nec causis nec personis variet, id. 3, 45, 2.—Impers.: ibi si variaret, if there were a difference of opinion, Liv. 1, 43, 11; cf.: nec variatum comitiis est, id. 7, 22, 10.—With adverb. acc.: si nunc quoque fortuna aliquid variaverit, Liv. 23, 13, 4.—Of differences in the text of an author (late Lat.): ipsi codices Graeci variant, Aug. in Psa. 118, 7: nulla in eo variat codicum auctoritas, id. C. Faust. 11, 4.—Hence, P. a.: vărĭans, antis, varied, manifold: (terra) fudit aërias volucres variantibus formis, Lucr. 5, 822: variantis edere formas, id. 5, 720: astra, Manil. 2, 466.