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mos , mōris, m. etym. dub.; perh. root ma-, measure; cf.: maturus, matutinus; prop., a measuring or guiding rule of life; hence,
I.manner, custom, way, usage, practice, fashion, wont, as determined not by the laws, but by men's will and pleasure, humor, self-will, caprice (class.; cf.: consuetudo, usus).
I. Lit.: “opsequens oboediensque'st mori atque imperiis patris,Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 54: “huncine erat aequum ex illius more, an illum ex hujus vivere?Ter. Heaut. 1, 2, 24: alieno more vivendum est mihi, according to the will or humor of another, id. And. 1, 1, 125: “nonne fuit levius dominae pervincere mores,Prop. 1, 17, 15: morem alicui gerere, to do the will of a person, to humor, gratify, obey him: “sic decet morem geras,Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 35; Cic. Tusc. 1, 9, 17: “animo morem gessero,Ter. And. 4, 1, 17: “adulescenti morem gestum oportuit,id. Ad. 2, 2, 6; v. gero.—
II. The will as a rule for action, custom, usage, practice, wont, habit: “leges mori serviunt,usage, custom, Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 36: “legi morique parendum est,Cic. Univ. 11: “ibam forte Viā Sacrā, sicut meus est mos,custom, wont, Hor. S. 1, 9, 1: “contra morem consuetudinemque civilem,Cic. Off. 1, 41, 148: “quae vero more agentur institutisque civilibus,according to usage, according to custom, id. ib.: “mos est hominum, ut nolint eundem pluribus rebus excellere,id. Brut. 21, 84: “ut mos est,Juv. 6, 392; “moris erat quondam servare, etc.,id. 11, 83: “more sinistro,by a perverted custom, id. 2, 87.— So with ut: “morem traditum a patribus, ut, etc.,Liv. 27, 11, 10: “hunc morem servare, ut, etc.,id. 32, 34, 5: “virginibus Tyriis mos est gestare pharetram,it is the custom, they are accustomed, Verg. A. 1, 336: “qui istic mos est?Ter. Heaut. 3, 3, 1: “mos ita rogandi,Cic. Fam. 12, 17, 1: “ut mos fuit Bithyniae regibus,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 11, § 27: moris est, it is the custom: “negavit, moris esse Graecorum, ut, etc.,id. ib. 2, 1, 26, § 66; Vell. 2, 37, 5: “quae moris Graecorum non sint,Liv. 36, 28, 4; cf.: “(aliquid) satis ex more Graecorum factum,id. 36, 28, 5: “ut Domitiano moris erat,Tac. Agr. 39.—Plur.: “id quoque morum Tiberii erat,Tac. A. 1, 80: “praeter civium morem,contrary to custom, to usage, Ter. And. 5, 3, 9: sine more, unwonted, unparalleled: “facinus sine more,Stat. Th. 1, 238; so, “nullo more,id. ib. 7, 135: “supra morem: terra supra morem densa,unusually, Verg. G. 2, 227 (cf.: “supra modum): perducere aliquid in morem,to make into a custom, make customary, Cic. Inv. 2, 54, 162: “quod jam in morem venerat, ut, etc.,had become customary, Liv. 42, 21, 7.—
B. In partic., in a moral point of view, conduct, behavior; in plur., manners, morals, character; in a good or bad sense: “est ita temperatis moderatisque moribus, ut summa severitas summā cum humanitate jungatur,manners, Cic. Fam. 12, 27, 1: “suavissimi mores,id. Att. 16, 16, A, 6: boni, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 254, 8.—Prov.: “corrumpunt mores bonos colloquia mala,Vulg. 1 Cor. 15, 33: “justi,Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 184: “severi et pudici,Plin. 28, 8, 27, § 106: “sanctissimi,Plin. Ep. 10, 20, 3: feri immanisque natura, Cic. Rosc. Am. 13, 38: “totam vitam, naturam moresque alicujus cognoscere,character, id. ib. 38, 109: “eos esse M'. Curii mores, eamque probitatem, ut, etc.,id. Fam. 13, 17, 3; id. de Or. 2, 43, 182: “mores disciplinamque alicujus imitari,id. Deiot. 10, 28: “perditi,id. Fam. 2, 5, 2: “praefectura morum,the supervision of the public morals, Suet. Caes. 76: “moribus et caelum patuit,to good morals, virtue, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 101.amator meretricis mores sibi emit auro et purpurā,polite behavior, complaisance, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 128: “propitiis, si per mores nostros liceret, diis,” i. e. our evil way of life, Tac. H. 3, 72: “morum quoque filius,like his father in character, Juv. 14, 52: “ne te ignarum fuisse dicas meorum morum, leno ego sum,” i. e. my trade, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 6: “in publicis moribus,Suet. Tib. 33; 42.—
III. Transf.
A. Quality, nature, manner; mode, fashion: “haec meretrix fecit, ut mos est meretricius,Plaut. Men. 5, 4, 8: “mores siderum,qualities, properties, Plin. 18, 24, 56, § 206: “caeli,Verg. G. 1, 51: “Carneadeo more et modo disputare,manner, Cic. Univ. 1: “si humano modo, si usitato more peccāsset,in the usual manner, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 9: “Graeco more bibere,id. ib. 1, 26, 66: “apis Matinae More modoque,after the manner of, like, Hor. C. 4, 2, 27: “Dardanius torrentis aquae vel turbinis atri More furens,Verg. A. 10, 604: “more novalium,Col. 3, 13, 4: “caeli et anni mores,Col. 1, Praef. 23: “omnium more,Cic. Fam. 12, 17, 3; so, “ad morem actionum,Quint. 4, 1, 43: “elabitur anguis in morem fluminis,like, Verg. G. 1, 245: “in hunc operis morem,Hor. S. 2, 1, 63: “pecudum in morem,Flor. 3, 8, 6: “morem vestis tenere,mode, fashion, Just. 1, 2, 3.—
B. A precept, law, rule (poet. and postAug.): “moresque viris et moenia ponet,precepts, laws, Verg. A. 1, 264; cf.: “pacis inponere morem,id. ib. 6, 852: “quod moribus eorum interdici non poterat,Nep. Ham. 3: “quid ferri duritiā pugnacius? sed cedit, et patitur mores,submits to laws, obeys, is tamed, Plin. 36, 16, 25, § 127: “ut leo mores Accepit,Stat. Ach. 2, 183: “in morem tonsa coma, = ex more ludi,Verg. A. 5, 556.
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hide References (44 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (44):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 12.17.1
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 12.17.3
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 2.5.2
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 16.16
    • New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 15.33
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.2.9
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.5.27
    • Cicero, For King Deiotarius, 10.28
    • Plautus, Mostellaria, 1.3
    • Plautus, Mostellaria, 3.2
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 10.604
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.264
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.336
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 5.556
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.245
    • Vergil, Georgics, 1.51
    • Vergil, Georgics, 2.227
    • Horace, Satires, 1.9.1
    • Horace, Satires, 2.1.63
    • Tacitus, Annales, 1.80
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 3.72
    • Tacitus, Agricola, 39
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 3.3
    • Plautus, Menaechmi, 5.4
    • Plautus, Trinummus, 4.3
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.182
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.43
    • Suetonius, Divus Julius, 76
    • Suetonius, Tiberius, 33
    • Cornelius Nepos, Hamilcar, 3
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 36, 28
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 42, 21
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 27, 11.10
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 32, 34.5
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 1.9
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.41
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 4, 1.43
    • Statius, Thebias, 1
    • Statius, Achilleis, 2
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 3.13.4
    • Cicero, Brutus, 21.84
    • Cicero, Timaeus, 1
    • Cicero, Timaeus, 11
    • Cicero, De Inventione, 2.54
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