Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.a master, possessor, ruler, lord, proprietor, owner (cf. herus).

I. Prop.: quam dispari Dominare domino! Poëta ap. Cic. Off. 1, 39, 139: “nec domo dominus, sed domino domus honestanda est, etc.,” Cic. ib. 39, 139; cf. id. Fin. 1, 18, 58: “(vilicus) consideret, quae dominus imperaverit, fiant, etc.,” Cato R. R. 5, 3 sq.; “so opp. servus,” Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 227; id. Mil. 3, 1, 149; Ter. Ad. 5, 6, 6; id. Eun. 3, 2, 33; Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 17; id. ap. Non. 355, 19; Cic. Deiot. 11, 30; Sall. J. 31, 11 et saep.; “opp. familia,” Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 9; “opp. ancilla,” Cic. de Or. 2, 68, 276; and (with herus) Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 3; cf. id. Ps. 4, 7, 90 sq.; Cic. N. D. 2, 63 et saep.—Also of the master's son, the young master, Plaut. Capt. prol. 18: “siet in iis agris, qui non saepe dominos mutant ... de domino bono colono melius emetur,” Cato R. R. 1, 4; cf. Cic. Att. 12, 19; id. de Sen. 16, 56; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 174; so, “rerum suarum,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 5, 11: auctionum, id. Quint. 5, 19: “insularum,” Suet. Caes. 41: “equi,” id. ib. 61 et saep.—

II. In gen., a master, lord, ruler, commander, chief, proprietor, owner (in republican Rome of public men, usually with the accessory notion, unlawful, despotic): “hujus principis populi et omnium gentium domini atque victoris,” Cic. Planc. 4 fin.; id. Off. 3, 21, 83; cf.: “quippe qui (sc. populi) domini sint legum, judiciorum, belli, pacis, foederum, capitis, uniuscujusque, pecuniae,” id. Rep. 1, 32: “di domini omnium rerum ac moderatores,” id. Leg. 2, 7; cf. id. Fin. 4, 5; id. Univ. 7: “videsne, ut de rege (sc. Tarquinio) dominus exstiterit? hic est enim dominus populi, quem Graeci tyrannum vocant, etc.,” id. Rep. 2, 26; cf. id. 1, 45; Verg. A. 4, 214.— Trop.: “liberatos se per eum dicunt gravissimis dominis, terrore sempiterno ac nocturno metu,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 21; “of the judge: qui rei dominus futurus est,” id. de Or. 2, 17, 72; poët. of the possessor of an art, Ov. M. 1, 524; 13, 138.—

b. Poet., sometimes as an adj.: “dominae manus,” Ov. Am. 2, 5, 30: “arae,” Stat. Th. 5, 578: “praebere caput domina venale sub hasta,” the auction spear, Juv. 3, 33.—

B. In partic.

1. With or without convivii or epuli, the master of a feast, the entertainer, host, Cic. Vatin. 13; Lucil., Varr., and Sall. ap. Non. 281, 21 sq.; Varr. ap. Gell. 13, 11, 5; Liv. 23, 8 al.—

2. The master of a play or of public games; the employer of players or gladiators: “quae mihi atque vobis res vortat bene Gregique huic et dominis atque conductoribus,” Plaut. As. prol. 3; Cic. Att. 2, 19, 3.—

3. In the period of the empire (Augustus and Tiberius declined it, Suet. Aug. 53; Tib. 27), a title of the emperors, Suet. Dom. 13; Mart. 5, 8; 10, 72; Phaedr. 2, 5, 14; Inscr. Orell. 1109; 1146 al.—

4. A term of endearment in addressing a lover, Ov. Am. 3, 7, 11.—

5. In respectful greeting, like our Sir, Sen. Ep. 3; Mart. 6, 88; Suet. Claud. 21.—

6. A master or assignee of a forfeited estate, Cic. Quint. 15, 50.—

7. Of Christ, the Lord (eccl. Lat.): “Augusti Caesaris temporibus natus est Dominus Christus,” Oros. 6, 17 fin.; Vulg. Johan. 13, 13 et saep.