I. Orig., an elegant, town-bred man; a fine gentleman, gallant, dandy: “tu urbanus vero scurra, deliciae popli, Rus mihi tu objectas?” Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 14; cf. (opp. militaris) id. Ep. 1, 1, 13; id. Curc. 2, 3, 17.—Also of an elegant debauchee, Cic. Sest. 17, 39; Auct. Har. Resp. 20, 42.—
II. Transf.
1. A city buffoon, droll, jester (usually in the suite of wealthy persons, and accordingly a kind of parasite; “syn.: sannio, parasitus): urbani assidui cives, quos scurras vocant,” Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 165; id. Poen. 3, 2, 35; 5, 5, 2; id. Truc. 2, 6, 10; Cic. Quint. 3, 11; id. de Or. 2, 60, 247; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 62, § 146; Auct. Her. 4, 10, 14: Hor. S. 1, 5, 52; 1, 8, 11; id. Ep. 1, 15, 28; 1, 18, 4; Vulg. 2 Reg. 6, 20.—Zeno sarcastically called Socrates scurra Atticus, Cic. N. D. 1, 34, 93: “Sabinus Asilius, venustissimus inter rhetores scurra,” Sen. Suas. 2, 12.—Of the clown in a pantomime, Juv. 13, 111.—Prov.: “vetus est: De scurrā multo facilius divitem quam patremfamilias fieri posse,” Cic. Quint. 17, 55. —
2. In the times of the later emperors, one of the guard, a soldier of the guard, a guardsman, Lampr. Alex. Sev. 61; 62 fin.; id. Heliog. 33; Treb. Poll. Trig. Tyr. 30.
