vestis

vestis, is, f. [Sanscr. root vas-, to put on; Gr. hes-, Wes-; cf. hennumi, esthês], the covering for the body, clothes, clothing, attire, vesture (syn. amictus; in class. prose only sing.).

I.

Lit.: lavere lacrimis vestem squalam et sordidam, Enn. ap. Non. 172, 20 (Trag. v. 370 Vahl.):

mulierem cum auro et veste abducere,

Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 69:

satin' haec me vestis deceat,

these clothes, id. Most. 1, 3, [p. 1982] 10:

discidit vestem,

Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 41:

lugubris,

id. Heaut. 2, 3, 45; id. Eun. 3, 5, 24:

ad vestem muliebrem conficiendam,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 46, § 103; id. Phil. 2, 27, 66; id. de Or. 1, 35, 161:

sumptā veste virili,

Hor. S. 1, 2, 16; 1, 2, 95; id. Ep. 1, 19, 38 al.—

2.

Esp.: mutare vestem.

(α).

To put on mourning garments, put on mourning (cf. sordidatus), Cic. Planc. 12, 29; id. Sest. 11, 26; Liv. 6, 20, 2; cf.:

quid vestis mutatio'st?

Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 4:

cum dolorem suum vestis mutatione declarandum censuisset,

Cic. Pis. 8, 17.—

(β).

Also in gen., to change one's clothing, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 61; Liv. 22, 1, 3; Sen. Ep. 18, 2; Vell. 2, 41, 2.—

3.

In sing. collect., = vestes:

multam pretiosam supellectilem vestemque missam Carthaginem,

Liv. 21, 15, 2; so id. 26, 21, 8; 31, 17, 6; 39, 6, 7; 44, 26, 9.—

B.

Plur., clothes, garments ( poet. and in postAug. prose):

aurum vestibus illitum Mirata,

Hor. C. 4, 9, 14:

picturatae auri subtemine vestes,

Verg. A. 3, 483:

vestibus extentis,

Juv. 12, 68:

quod in vestes, margarita, gemmas fuerat erogaturus,

Plin. Ep. 5, 16, 7; Quint. 6, 1, 30; 9, 4, 4; 11, 1, 31; Curt. 3, 13, 7; 5, 1, 10; Sen. Ep. 114, 11; id. Ben. 7, 9, 5; 7, 20, 2; Plin. 19, 1, 2, § 14; Suet. Tib. 36; id. Gram. 23; Tac. A. 2, 24; 3, 53; 12, 68. —

II.

Transf., of any sort of covering.

1.

A carpet, curtain, tapestry (syn. stragulum):

in plebeiā veste cubandum est,

Lucr. 2, 36; Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 56, § 146; Ov. M. 8, 659; Hor. S. 2, 4, 84; 2, 6, 103; 2, 6, 106 al. —

2.

Poet.

(α).

A veil, Stat. Th. 7, 244.—

(β).

The skin of a serpent, Lucr. 4, 61; cf. id. 3, 614.—

(γ).

The beard as the covering of the chin, Lucr. 5, 673 (cf. vesticeps and investis).—

(δ).

A spider's web, Lucr. 3, 386.