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pūrus , a, um, adj. Sanscr. root pū, purificare, lustrare; cf.: pŭtus, pŭto; whence also ποινή; Lat. poena,
I.clean, pure, i. e. free from any foreign, esp. from any contaminating admixture (syn.: illimis, liquidus).
I. Lit.
1. Clean, free from dirt or filth, pure, unstained, undefiled: “purae aedes,Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 6: “et manibus puris sumite fontis aquam,Tib. 2, 1, 14; Hor. Epod. 17, 49; id. S. 1, 4, 68: “vestis,Verg. A. 12, 169: “ut quicquid inde haurias, purum liquidumque te haurire sentias,Cic. Caecin. 27, 78: “amnis,Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 120: “aqua,id. C. 3, 16, 29; cf. id. Ep. 1, 10, 20: “fons,Prop. 3 (4), 1, 3.lympha,Sil. 7, 170: “amphorae,Hor. Epod. 2, 15: “fictilia,Tib. 1, 1, 30: “torus,id. 1, 3, 26: “purissima mella,Verg. G. 4, 163: “aëre purior ignis,Ov. M. 15, 243: “hasta,unstained with blood, Stat. Th. 11, 450.—
2. In gen., free or clear from any admixture or obstruction: terra, cleared (from stones, bushes, etc.), Cic. Sen. 17, 59: “sol,clear, bright, Hor. C. 3, 29, 45: “orbis,Ov. M. 4, 348: “caelum,Tib. 4, 1, 10: “luna,Hor. C. 2, 5, 19: “vesper,id. ib. 3, 19, 26: “dies,Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 2: “aurum,refined, without dross, Plin. 33, 4, 25, § 84; 33, 6, 32, § 99: “argentum,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 23, § 52: “gemma,Ov. M. 2, 856.—Absol.: -rum , i, n., a clear, bright, unclouded sky, Verg. G. 2, 364; Hor. C. 1, 34, 7.—
B. Transf.
1. In gen., plain, natural, naked, unadorned, unwrought, unmixed, unadulterated, unsophisticated: argentum, plain, i. e. unornamented, without figures chased upon it, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 22, § 49; 2, 4, 23, § 52; Plin. Ep. 3, 1, 9; Juv. 9, 141; cf.: “coronarum aliae sunt purae, aliae caelatae,Vitr. 7, 3; and: “utrum lanx pura an caelata sit,Dig. 6, 1, 6: “vasa,not pitched, Col. 12, 4, 4: “locus,not built upon, vacant, Varr. L. L. 5, § 38 Müll.; Liv. 24, 14; Dig. 13, 7, 43: “humus,Cic. Sen. 15, 59: “solum,Liv. 1, 44 fin.: “ager,Ov. F. 3, 582: “campus,Verg. A. 12, 771: “purus ab arboribus campus,Ov. M. 3, 709: “hasta,without an iron head, Prop. 4 (5), 3, 68: “toga,without purple stripes, Phaedr. 3, 10, 10: “esse utramque sibi per se puramque necesse'st,unmixed, Lucr. 1, 506.—
2. Cleansing, purifying: “idem ter socios pura circumtulit undā,Verg. A. 6, 229: “sulfur,Tib. 1, 5, 11.—
II. Trop.
A. Pure, unspotted, spotless, chaste, undefiled, unpolluted, faultless, etc.: “animus omni admixtione corporis liberatus, purus et integer,Cic. Sen. 22, 80: “castus animus purusque,id. Div. 1, 53, 121: “estne quisquam qui tibi purior esse videatur?id. Rosc. Com. 6, 18: “puriora et dilucidiora,id. Tusc. 1, 20, 46: vita et pectore puro, Hor.S. 1,6, 64; id. Ep. 1, 2, 67: pectus purum et firmum, stainless, faultless, Enn. ap. Gell. 7, 17 (Trag. v. 340 Vahl.): “familia,that has solemnized the funeral rites, Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 57: “gladium purum ab omni caede servare,Sen. Ep. 24, 7: “purae a civili sanguine manus,id. Suas. 6, 2: “purus sum a peccato,Vulg. Prov. 20, 9: “pectus purum ab omni sceleris contagione,Lact. 5, 12, 2.—Of freedom from sensual passion: “animam puram conservare,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 58, § 134: “noctes, opp. spurcae,Plaut. As. 4, 1, 62; id. Poen. 1, 2, 137; Tib. 1, 3, 26; Mart. 6, 66, 5; 9, 64: “corpus,Plin. Ep. 4, 11, 9.—With gen.: “integer vitae scelerisque purus,Hor. C. 1, 22, 1.—Of purity of style: “oratio Catuli sic pura est, ut Latine loqui paene solus videatur,Cic. de Or. 3, 8, 29; cf.: purum et candidum genus dicendi, id. Or. 16, 53: “sermone puro atque dilucido,Quint. 11, 1, 53: “sermo quam purissimus,id. 4, 2, 118: “multo est tersior ac magis purus (Horatius),id. 10, 1, 94: “pura et illustris brevitas,Cic. Brut. 75, 262: “pura et incorrupta consuetudo dicendi,id. ib. 75, 261: “pressus sermo purusque,Plin. Ep. 7, 9, 8.—
B. In partic., in jurid. lang., unconditional, without exception, absolute; entire, complete: “judicium purum,Cic. Inv. 2, 20, 60: “pura et directa libertas,Dig. 40, 4, 59: “causa,ib. 46, 3, 5.—
C. Clear, complete, over and above: “quid possit ad dominos puri ac reliqui provenire,clear gain, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 86, § 200.—
D. Relig. t. t., free from religious claims or consecration: “purus autem locus dicitur, qui neque sacer neque sanctus est neque religiosus, sed ab omnibus huiusmodi nominibus vacare videtur,Dig. 11, 7, 2, § 4; cf. “ib. § 2: quae tandem est domus ab istā suspicione religionis tam vacua atque pura,Cic. Har. Resp. 6, 11.—
E. Not desecrated, undefiled.
1. Untrodden, fresh: “locus,Liv. 25, 17, 3.—
2. Not defiled by a funeral or burial: “familia,Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 57.—
3. Free from mourning: “dies,Ov. F. 2, 558.—Adv., in two forms, pūrē and (ante-class. and poet.) pūrĭ-ter (sup. ‡ purime, acc. to Paul. ex Fest. p. 252 Müll.), purely, clearly, without spot or mixture.
A. Lit.
(α). Form pure: “pure eluere vasa,Plaut. Aul. 2, 3, 3; cf.: pure lautum=aquā purā lavatum, Paul. ex Fest. p. 248 Müll.: “lavare,Liv. 5, 22.—
(β). Form puriter: “puriter transfundere aquam in alterum dolium,Cato, R. R. 112: “puriter lavit dentes,Cat. 39, 14.—
b. Comp., brightly, clearly: “splendens Pario marmore purius,Hor. C. 1, 19, 5: “purius osculari,Sen. Ben. 2, 12, 2.—
c. Sup.: “quam mundissime purissimeque fiat,Cato, R. R. 66.—
B. Trop., purely, chastely; plainly, clearly, simply.
(β). Form puriter: “si vitam puriter egi,Cat. 76, 19.—
2. In partic., jurid., unconditionally, simply, absolutely: “aliquid legare,Dig. 8, 2, 35: “contrahi,ib. 18, 2, 4; 39, 2, 22 fin.; 26, 2, 11; Gai. Inst. 1, 186.
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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (59):
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