Lewis Short
(adj.adv.) : vărĭus, a, um, adj.
* Diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, various (cf.: diversus, distinctus).
* Lit.
* Of color, etc., variegated, party-colored, mottled, etc.: arietis lingua nigra aut varia, vestis,Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 4: variā veste exornatus fuit,Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 16; so of color: uvae,Cato, R. R. 33, 4; 33, 73: lynces,Verg. G. 3, 264: serpens,Ov. M. 6, 114: anguis,id. ib. 4, 619: pica,Petr. 28 fin.: flores,Tib. 1, 7, 45; Ov. M. 10, 123: plumae,Hor. A. P. 2: lapides,id. S. 2, 4, 83: columnae,of variegated marble,id. Ep. 1, 10, 22: auctumnus purpureo colore,id. C. 2, 5, 12: colores,Ov. M. 1, 270; cf.: vestra latera loris faciam ut valide varia sint,i. e. black and blue,Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 12; id. Mil. 2, 2, 61: tergum varium, Pomp. ap. Non. 19, 31 (Com. Rel. v. 139 Rib.): sparsa quoque in vario passim miracula caelo videt, diversified, i. e. with constellations of various forms, Ov. M. 2, 193.
* Trop., diverse, different, manifold, changing, varying, changeable, various, etc.: varium poëma, varia oratio, varii mores, varia fortuna; voluptas etiam varia dici solet,Cic. Fin. 2, 3, 10: (qualitates) variae et quasi multiformes,id. Ac. 1, 7, 26: et ea, quae videntur acerba, quae multa et varia in hominum vitā fortunāque versantur,id. Off. 1, 20, 67: curricula multiplicium variorumque sermonum,id. Or. 3, 12: res varia et multiplex,id. Fl. 3, 6: multae, copiosae variaeque rationes,id. de Or. 1, 51, 222; cf.: varia et diversa genera et bellorum et hostium,id. Imp. Pomp. 10, 28; cf. id. de Or. 3, 16, 61; 1, 61, 262: varium jus et dispar condicio,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 19, § 49: eventus varii fortunae,Caes. B. G. 2, 22: victoria, wavering, = anceps, Sall. J. 5, 1; Liv. 2, 6, 10; so, bellum,Flor. 4, 12, 26. —Of opinions: varias esse opiniones intellego: sunt qui putant, etc., i. e. divergent opinions, differences where there is yet substantial agreement (while diversae opiniones are opposite views), Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 25.
* In rural lang.: terra,wet above and dry beneath,Col. 2, 4, 5: sulcus,Cato, R. R. 61, 2; Plin. 18, 19, 49, § 174.
* A kind of magpie, Plin. 10, 29, 41, § 78.
* Varium est, with a rel.-clause: quales sint (dii), varium est,various opinions prevail,Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 13.
* Esp., of persons, etc.
* Of abilities, versatile: Plato et varius et multiplex et copiosus fuit,Cic. Ac. 1, 4, 17; cf.: antequam scirem quam varium, quam flexibile quam multiplex (ejus ingenium) esset,Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 1: Antonius ingenio varius,Flor. 4, 3, 4.
* Lit., with diverse colors, in a variegated manner: mithrax gemma multicolor, contra solem varie refulgens,Plin. 37, 10, 63, § 173: smaragdi Cyprii varie glauci,id. 37, 5, 18, § 67.
* Trop., variously, changeably, diversely, differently, in various ways: varie moveri,Cic. Div. 2, 42, 89: qui (sermones) ab his, qui illum audierunt, perscripti varie et copiose sunt,id. Ac. 1, 4, 16: numerus hujus generis late et varie diffusus est,id. Sest. 45, 97: varie sum affectus tuis litteris,id. Fam. 16, 4, 1: postea decernitur, ac non varie, sed prope cunctis sententiis,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 65, § 145: ita varie per omnem exercitum laetitia, maeror, luctus atque gaudia agitabantur,Sall. C. 61, 9: in Aequis varie bellatum,Liv. 5, 28, 5: agere varie, rogando alternis suadendoque coepit,id. 2, 2, 9: hiemem aut negotia varie causari,Tac. A. 1, 47: sagittarios varie passimque collocare, Auct. B. Afr. 60: disserere,Tac. A. 1, 11.—With a punning allusion to 1. Varia: Ep. Perpetuon' valuisti? Th. Varie. Ep. Qui varie valent, caprigenum hominum non placet mihi neque pantherinum genus, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 15.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary