I.pure, unmixed, unadulterated, esp. of wine not mixed with water: merum antiqui dicebant solum: at nunc merum purum appellamus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 124 Müll.
I. Lit.: vinum merum, Varr. ap. Non. 4, 295: “vina,” Ov. M. 15, 331.—Of other things: “argentum merum,” Plaut. As. 1, 3, 3: “undae,” Ov. M. 15, 323: “lac,” id. F. 4, 369: “gustus,” Col. 3, 21: “claror,” clear, unclouded, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 111: “mero meridie,” Petr. 37.—Hence,
2. Subst.: mĕrum , i, n., pure, unmixed wine, wine not mixed with water (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “ingurgitare se in merum,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 35; Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 11; id. C. 1, 36, 13: “objecturus Antonio Cicero merum et vomitum,” Quint. 8, 4, 16: “meri veteris torrens,” Juv. 6, 319; 3, 283; Val. Fl. 5, 595: “ad merum pronior,” Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 145; 23, 1, 23, § 43.—
B. Transf.
2. In gen., bare, nothing but, only, mere (class.): “meri bellatores gignuntur,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 85: “in medio (foro) ostentatores meri (ambulant),” id. Curc. 4, 1, 15: Diogenem postea pallium solum habuisse, et habere Ulixem meram tunicam, nothing but, only, Varr. ap. Non. 344, 10: “nihil, nisi spem meram,” Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 95: “mera monstra nuntiare,” Cic. Att. 4, 7, 1: “proscriptiones, meri Sullae,” id. ib. 9, 11, 3: “scelera loquuntur,” id. ib. 9, 13, 1: “bellum,” id. ib. 9, 13, 8: “nugae,” id. ib. 6, 3, 5: “adfectus,” Quint. 11, 1, 52.—
II. Trop., pure, true, real, genuine, unadulterated: “meri principes,” Cic. de Or. 2, 22, 94: velut ex diutinā siti nimis avide meram haurientes libertatem, immoderate, excessive, Liv. 39, 26; cf. Cic. Rep. 1, 43, 66; but mera libertas, in Horace, signifies true, genuine freedom, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 8: “Achaia, illa vera et mera Graecia,” Plin. Ep. 8, 24, 2: “Cecropis,” a real Athenian, Juv. 6, 187.—Hence, adv.: mĕrē , purely, without mixture, wholly, entirely (ante-class. and post-Aug.): “si semel amoris poculum accepit mere,” Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 22.