previous next
sordes , is (abl. sordi, Lucr. 6, 1271; usu. sorde), f. sordeo,
I.dirt, filth, uncleanness, squalor (class.; esp. freq. in a trop. sense, and in plur.; syn.: situs, squalor, caenum, illuvies).
I. Lit.
(α). Plur.: “pleni sordium,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 104 sq.: “in sordibus aurium inhaerescere,” Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 144: “sint sine sordibus ungues,” Ov. A. A. 1, 519: “caret obsoleti Sordibus tecti,” Hor. C. 2, 10, 7; Plin. 36, 26, 65, § 191.—
(β). Sing.: “etiam in medio oculo paulum sordi'st,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 102: “auriculae collectā sorde dolentes,” Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 53: “(pellis) Ulceribus tetris prope jam sordique sepultā,” Lucr. 6, 1271.—
B. Transf., plur., a mourning garment (because usu. soiled or dirty); and hence, mourning in gen. (syn. squalor): “jacere in lacrimis et sordibus,” Cic. Fam. 14, 2, 2; cf.: “in sordibus, lamentis, luctuque jacuisti,” id. Pis. 36, 89: “mater squalore hujus et sordibus laetatur,” id. Clu. 6, 18; 67, 192; id. Mur. 40, 86: “sordes lugubres vobis erant jucundae,” id. Dom. 23, 59; Liv. 6, 16 fin.; Quint. 6, 1, 33; Suet. Vit. 8: “suscipere sordes,” Tac. A. 4, 52; id. Or. 12; Val. Max. 7, 8, 7.—
II. Trop., lowness or meanness of rank, a low condition; meanness, baseness of behavior or disposition (syn. illiberalitas).
A. In gen.: “sordes fortunae et vitae,” Cic. Brut. 62, 224: “obscuritas et sordes tuae,” id. Vatin. 5, 11; id. Sest. 28, 60: “ut quisque sordidissimus videbitur, ita libentissime severitate judicandi sordes suas eluet,” id. Phil. 1, 8, 20: “nulla nota, nullus color, nullae sordes videbantur his sententiis allini posse,” Cic. Verr. 1, 6, 17: “in infamiā relinqui ac sordibus,” id. Att. 1, 16, 2; Liv. 4, 56: “sordes illae verborum,” low, vulgar expressions, Tac. Or. 21: “propter maternas sordes,” low origin, Just. 13, 2, 11: “pristinarum sordium oblitus,” id. 25, 1, 9; cf. id. 18, 7, 11.—
2. Concr., the dregs of the people, the mob, rabble (syn. faex): “apud sordem urbis et faecem,” Cic. Att. 1, 16, 11; so (with caenum) Plin. Ep. 7, 29, 3: “sordes et obscuritatem Vitellianarum partium,” Tac. H. 1, 84.—Hence, as a term of abuse: “o lutum, o sordes!” low-minded creature, Cic. Pis. 26, 62.—
B. In partic., meanness, stinginess, niggardliness, sordidness (cf.: parcimonia, avaritia).
(α). Plur.: “(populus Romanus) non amat profusas epulas, sordes et inhumanitatem multo minus,” Cic. Mur. 36, 76; so (opp. luxuria) Plin. Ep. 2, 6, 7: “damnatus sordium,” id. ib. 2, 12, 4: “incusare alicujus sordes,” Quint. 6, 3, 74: “sordes obicere alicui,” Hor. S. 1, 6, 68 and 107: “sepulcrum sine sordibus exstrue,” id. ib. 2, 5, 105: “cogit minimas ediscere sordes,” the meanest tricks, Juv. 14 124; 1, 140.—
(β). Sing.: “nullum hujus in privatis rebus factum avarum, nullam in re familiari sordem posse proferri,” Cic. Fl. 3, 7; so (with avaritia) Tac. H. 1, 52; 1, 60: “extremae avaritiae et sordis infimae infamis,” App. M. 1, p. 112, 2.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

hide Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
Search for in
hide References (29 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (29):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 14.2.2
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 1.16.11
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 1.16.2
    • Cicero, For Aulus Cluentius, 6.18
    • Cicero, For Lucius Murena, 36.76
    • Cicero, Against Piso, 26.62
    • Cicero, Against Piso, 36.89
    • Cicero, On his House, 23.59
    • Cicero, For Lucius Murena, 40.86
    • Cicero, For Sestius, 28.60
    • Cicero, Against Vatinius, 5.11
    • Cicero, Philippics, 1.8.20
    • Suetonius, Vitellius, 8
    • Horace, Satires, 1.6.68
    • Tacitus, Annales, 4.52
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 1.52
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 1.84
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 1.2
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.1271
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 2.12
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 2.6.7
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 7.29.3
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 16
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 4, 56
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.57
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 1.33
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.74
    • Cicero, Brutus, 62.224
    • Valerius Maximus, Facta et Dicta Memorabilia, 7.8.7
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: