I.an abyss, chasm, a deep pit, the Lower World (mostly poet; cf. “vorago),” Plaut. Rud. 2, 7, 12: “o barathrum ubi nunc es? ut ego te usurpem lubens (words of one in despair),” id. Bacch. 1, 2, 41; Lucr. 3, 966; Cat. 68, 108; 68, 117; 95, 5.—Esp., of the infernal regions: “ferri in barathrum,” Lucr. 6, 606: “imus barathri gurges (Charybdis),” Verg. A. 3, 421; 8, 245; Sil. 9, 497: “poena barathri,” Val. Fl. 2, 86; a pit made by art, a deep dungeon, Vitr. 10, 22, 11.—
B. Trop.: quid enim differt, barathrone Dones quidquid habes, an numquam utare paratis? thou throwest into the abyss, i. e. squanderest, Hor. S. 2, 3, 166.—
II. Transf.
A. Jocosely or satirically, a maw (as insatiable), Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 29; Mart. 1, 88, 4.—Hence Horace calls a greedy man barathrum macelli, an abyss, gulf of the provision market, Ep. 1, 15, 31.—
B. In mal. part., Mart. 3, 81, 1.