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.

rătis (rătes, acc. to Prob. p. 1473 fin.; yet perh. we should here read vates; acc. ratim, Hyg. Fab. 175), is, f. [Sanscr. ar-i-tras that which propels, an oar; Gr. ἐρέτης, rower; ἐρέσσω, to row; Lat.: remus, remigium, triremis, etc.].

    1. 1. A vessel made of logs fastened together, a raft: rates vocantur tigna colligata, quae per aquam aguntur; quo vocabulo interdum etiam naves significantur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 272 Müll.; cf. Fest. p. 273, 22 ib.: nave primus in Graeciam ex Aegypto Danaus advenit, antea ratibus navigabatur inventis in mari Rubro inter insulas a rege Erythrā, Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 206; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 2, § 5: transeunt Rhenum navibus ratibusque, Caes. B. G. 6, 35: trabibus verius quam ratibus, Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 53; Caes. B. C. 1, 25: ratibus quibus junxerat flumen, nondum resolutis, etc., i. e. pontoons, Liv. 21, 47: tamquam in rate in mari immenso nostra vehitur ratio, Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 73 B. and K.
    2. 2. A float: quasi pueris qui nare discunt, scirpea induitur ratis, Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 9.
    3. 3. Prov.: servavisti omnem ratem, you have saved us from shipwreck, Plaut. Most. 3, 3, 15; cf. id. ib. 3, 2, 53; id. Bacch. 4, 6, 27.
  1. B. Meton., in the poets, a bark, boat, vessel, in gen.: caeruleum spumat sale confertā rate pulsum, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 659 P. (Ann. v. 378 Vahl.); Naev. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 23 Müll.; Att. ap. Fest. s. v. rates, p. 272 ib.; Cat. 63, 1; 64, 121; Verg. G. 2, 445; id. A. 1, 43; 3, 192; 4, 53.
    Of Charon’s boat, Verg. A. 6, 302.