Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.fem. collat. form SACERDOTA, Inscr. Orell. 2184; cf. antistes init.; gen. plur. SACERDOTIVM, Inscr. Orell. 1942) [sacer], a priest; a priestess: “divis aliis alii sacerdotes, omnibus pontifices, singulis flamines sunto. . . sacerdotum duo genera sunto: unum quod praesit caerimoniis et sacris, alterum quod interpretetur fatidicorum et vatum effata incognita, etc.,” Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20; cf. Liv. 1, 19; Suet. Tib. 26: “in collegio sacerdotum,” Cic. Brut. 33, 127: “publici,” Liv. 5, 40; 26, 23; 42, 28; Suet. Vit. 11: “Phoebi,” Verg. A. 3, 80: “sacerdotes casti,” id. ib. 6, 661: “populi Romani,” Gell. 10, 24, 9: “Jovis,” Suet. Galb. 9; cf. “Dialis,” id. Dom. 4: “Dianae Ephesiae,” Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 73: “maximus (Syracusanorum),” Cic. Verr. 2,2,52, § 128: “tumuloque sacerdos additur Anchiseo,” Verg. A. 5, 760.—In fem.: “sacra Cereris per Graecas semper curata sunt sacerdotes, etc.,” Cic. Balb. 24, 55; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 45, § 99: “Veneris,” Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 17; cf. “Veneria,” id. ib. 2, 2, 23; 2, 3, 20; “3, 2, 30: hujus fani,” id. ib. 1, 5, 27.—Absol., Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 73; 2, 4, 27; 2, 5, 22 al.: “Vestae,” a Vestal, Ov. F. 5, 573; Cic. Font. 17, 47 (37): Vestalis, an old formula ap. Gell. 1, 12, 14: “Troïa,” i. e. Ilia, Hor. C. 3, 3, 32 et saep.; “v. the inscriptions in Orell. 2160 sq.—In apposition: proximi nobilissimis ac sacerdotibus viris,” Vell. 2, 124: “in illo adultero sacerdote,” Quint. 5, 10, 104: “sacerdotem anum praecipem Reppulit,” Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 8; cf. “regina (i. e. Rhea Silvia),” Verg. A. 1, 273.— Transf., sarcastically: “ille popularis, i. e. Clodius (on account of his smuggling himself in among the priestesses of the Bona Dea),” Cic. Sest. 30, 66; “of the same: stuprorum sacerdos,” id. ib. 17, 39: “tyranni sacerdos,” id. Phil. 2, 43, 110.—In eccl. Lat., of Christ as a mediator between God and men, Vulg. Heb. 7, 15.