I.of adverse, unfavorable, evil omen; ill-boding, inauspicious, ominous, portentous (cf.: sinister, funestus): apud antiquos omnes fere obscena dicta sunt, quae mali ominis habebantur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 201 Müll.: obsceni interpres funestique ominis auctor, Matius ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 96 Müll.; Att. ap. Non. 357, 16: “deūm rixa vertat verba obscena,” Lucil. ib. 357, 17; Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 8, 361 (Ann. v. 182 Vahl.): montem istum (Aventinum) excluserunt, quasi avibus obscenis ominosum (viz., by reason of the birds, which gave unfavorable omens to Remus), Mess. ap. Gell. 13, 14, 6; so, volucres, birds of illomen, i. e. owls, Verg. A. 12, 876: “canes,” id. G. 1, 470: “obscenum ostentum,” Suet. Galb. 4: “omen,” Cic. Dom. 55, 140: puppis, the fatal ship, that bore Helen when she eloped with Paris to Troy, Ov. H. 5, 119; cf.: “Troja,” Cat. 68, 99: “anus,” old witches, hags, Hor. Epod. 5, 98.—Sup.: Alliesis dies dicebatur apud Romanos obscenissimi ominis, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. Alliesis, p. 7 Müll.—
II. Transf., repulsive, offensive, abominable, hateful, disgusting, filthy.
A. In gen. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose; “syn.: immundus, turpis): (Allecto) frontem obscenam rugis arat,” Verg. A. 7, 417: “volucres pelagi,” i. e. the harpies, id. ib. 3, 241; “262: upupa, obscena alias pastu avis,” Plin. 10, 29, 44, § 86; cf. fames, Verg. A. 3, 367: “haustus,” of filthy water, Luc. 4, 312: “cruor,” Verg. A. 4, 455.— As subst.: obscēna , ōrum, n., the excrements, Sen. Ep. 8, 1, 20; also, the urine: “qui clam latuit reddente obscena puellā,” Ov. R. Am. 437; cf. Mel. 1, 9.—
B. In partic., offensive to modesty, i. e. immodest, impure, indecent, lewd, obscene (class.; “syn.: spurcus, impurus): delicatae et obscenae voluptates,” Cic. N. D. 1, 40, 111: “adulterium,” Ov. Tr. 2, 212: “obscenas tabellas pingere,” Prop. 2, 5, 19 (6, 27): “carmina,” id. 1, 16, 10: “gestus motusque,” Tac. A. 15, 37: “obscenum in modum formata commotaque manus,” i. e. so as to suggest impure thoughts, Suet. Calig. 56: “jocandi genus flagitiosum, obscenum,” Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104: “si obscena nudis nominibus enuntientur,” Quint. 8, 3, 38: “quodque facere turpe non est, modo occulte, id dicere obscenum est,” Cic. Off. 1, 35, 127; cf. id. ib. § 128; Quint. 11, 3, 125. —Comp.: “illud Antipatri paulo obscenius,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 38, 112: “abjectior et obscenior vita,” Val. Max. 3, 5 fin.—Sup.: “obscenissimi versus,” Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 2; Vell. 2, 83, 2.—
2. Subst.
(β).
obscēna , ōrum, less freq. in the sing., obscēnum , i. n., the private parts, τὰ αἰδοῖα.—Plur.: “Nymphe fugiens obscena Priapi,” Ov. M. 9, 347; cf.: “pars nudi agunt, pars tantum obscena velati,” Mel. 3, 7: “obscena,” Suet. Calig. 58; id. Dom. 10: “obscena corporis,” Just. 1, 6.—Sing.: “virile,” Ov. F. 6, 631; Lact. 1, 21, 28; id. Epit. 23, 8; Jul. Obsequ. 84.—Hence, also, adv.: obscēnē (acc. to II. B), impurely, indecently, lewdly, obscenely (class.): “latrocinari, fraudare, adulterare, re turpe est, sed dicitur non obscene,” Cic. Off. 1, 35, 128.—Comp.: “cujus (Mercurii) obscenius excitata natura traditur,” Cic. N. D. 3, 22, 56: “obscenius concurrerent litterae,” id. de Or. 45, 154.—Sup.: “impudicissime et obscenissime vixit,” Eutr. 8, 22.
