I.dirty, unclean, foul, filthy, squalid, sordid (class.).
I. Lit. (syn.: squalidus, obscenus): vestem squalam et sordidam, Enn. ap. Non. 504, 6 (Trag. v. 370 Vahl.): “amictus,” Verg. A. 6, 301; cf.: “sordidior toga,” Mart. 1, 104, 5: “mappa,” Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 22; Mart. 7, 20, 8: “lana,” Ov. A. A. 3, 222: “fumus,” Hor. C. 4, 11, 11: “at pol nitent, haud sordidae videntur ambae,” Plaut. Bacch. 5, 2, 6: “servolicolae,” id. Poen. 1, 2, 55: “nati,” Hor. C. 2, 18, 28; cf.: “magnos duces Non indecoro pulvere sordidos,” id. ib. 2, 1, 22: “puer sordidissimus dentibus,” Petr. 64, 6 et saep.—Esp.: “sordido in loco sedere,” Val. Max. 9, 13, 2.— Transf., of mourners, clad in mourning, Cic. Mur. 40, 86.—Poet.: “Auctumnus calcatis sordidus uvis,” Ov. M. 2, 29; id. F. 4, 897; “Col. poët. 10, 44: terga suis,” sooty, dingy, Ov. M. 8, 648.—Prov.: saepe est etiam sub palliolo sordido sapientia, wisdom is often hid under a ragged cloak, Caecil. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 23, 56.—
B. Transf., low, base, mean, as to birth, rank, or condition; poor, humble, small, paltry (syn.: “illiberalis, infimus): causam commisisse homini egenti, sordido, sine honore, sme censu,” Cic. Fl. 22, 52; id. Att. 8, 4, 2; id. Leg. 3, 16, 35; Hor. C. 1, 28, 14.—Sup.: “sordidissimus quisque,” Liv. 1, 47, 11: “familiae sordidissima pars,” Petr. 132, 3; cf.: “loco non humili solum sed etiam sordido ortus,” Liv. 22, 25, 18: “a sordidis initiis ad summa crevere,” Just. 2, 6, 2: “sordidum et obscurum Macedonum nomen,” id. 6, 9, 7: “genus alicujus,” id. 22, 1, 1: “panis,” Plaut. As. 1, 2, 16; Sen. Ep. 18, 5: “villula,” Cic. Att. 12, 27, 1; cf. “tecta,” Luc. 4, 396: “sedes,” id. 5, 9: “lar villae,” Mart. 12, 57, 2: “rura (with humiles casae),” Verg. E. 2, 28: “aratra,” Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 414; “hence also, otia, i. e. ruris,” Mart. 1, 56, 4—
II. Trop., low, mean, base, abject, vile, despicable, disgraceful (syn. turpis).
A. In gen., Cic. Phil. 1, 8, 20: “iste omnium turpissimus et sordidissimus,” id. Att. 9, 9, 3: “multo homo sordidissimus,” id. Scaur. 2, § 23: “homo furiosus ac sordidus,” id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 6, § 19: “nec minus laetabor, cum te semper sordidum, quam si paulisper sordidatum viderem,” id. Pis. 41, 99: “illiberales et sordidi quaestus mercenariorum omnium, quorum operae, non quorum artes emuntur ... Sordidi etiam putandi, qui mercantur a mercatoribus, quod statim vendant, etc.... Opifices omnes in sordidā arte versantur, etc.... mercatura autem, si tenuis est, sordida putanda est, etc.,” id. Off. 1, 42, 150: “lucrum,” Quint. 1, 2, 16 sq.; cf.: sordidissima ratio et inquinatissima, Cic. Off. 2, 6, 21: “qui (oratores) ne sordidiores quidem (artis) repudiarint (opp. praeclarissimas),” id. de Or. 3, 32, 128: “virtus repulsae nescia sordidae,” Hor. C. 3, 2, 17: “adulterium,” Liv. 1, 58: “nomen,” Quint. 8, 3, 21: “verba,” id. 8, 3, 17; 8, 3, 49; 2, 5, 10: “multa,” id. 2, 12, 7: “omnia, id 10, 1, 9: homines nullā re bonā dignos, cum quibus comparari sordidum, confligere autem miserum et periculosum sit,” Cic. Rep. 1, 5, 9; id. Off. 2, 14, 50; cf.: “qui pecuniam praeferre amicitiae sordidum existiment,” id. Lael. 17, 63.—
B. In partic., mean, niggardly, penurious, sordid (cf. parcus): “ita sordidus, ut se Non umquam servo melius vestiret,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 96; 1, 1, 65; 1, 2, 10; 2, 3, 164; Quint. 5, 13, 26; Plin. Ep. 2, 6, 1 (opp. sumptuosus): “perjurium,” Phaedr. 4, 19, 23: “cupido,” Hor. C. 2, 16, 16; cf. Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150 supra.—Hence, adv.: sordĭdē .
1. Lit., dirtily, foully: “per plateas tractus est sordidissime,” through the deepest mire, Lampr. Heliog. 33 med.—
3. Trop.
a. Vulgarly, unbecomingly, poorly: “loquitur laute et minime sordide,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 11: “dicere,” Cic. de Or. 2, 83, 339: “contionari,” id. Att. 15, 2, 2: “declamare (opp. splendide atque ornate),” Suet. Rhet. 6; Gell. 15, 4, 3.—
b. Meanly, stingily, penuriously, sordidly: “nimis illum sordide Simonidi dixisse, se dimidium ejus ei, quod pactus esset, pro illo carmine daturum,” Cic. de Or. 2, 86, 352: “facere aliquid (opp. largissime),” Suet. Dom. 9: “gerere proconsulatum,” Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 2.
