mordax

Latin > English

mordax (gen.), mordacis ADJ :: biting, snappish; tart; cutting, sharp; caustic

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

mordax: ācis, adj. mordeo,
I biting, given to biting, snappish (poet. and in postAug. prose).
I Lit.: canis, Plaut. Bacch. 5, 2, 27: equus, Labeo ap. Gell. 4, 2: asinus, App. M. 8, p. 213 init.: Memmius, Auct. ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 59, 240.—Poet.: fibula, Sid. Carm. 5, 18.—
   B Transf., stinging, sharp, biting, pungent: urtica, stinging, Ov. A. A. 2, 417: arista mordacior hordeo, Plin. 18, 7, 10, § 61: mordacissima marga, id. 17, 8, 4, § 45: mordaci icta ferro Pinus, biting, deepcutting, Hor. C. 4, 6, 9: pumex, Ov. A. A. 1, 506: pulvis, corrosive, Plin. 15, 29, 37, § 123: fel, biting, sharp, Ov. P. 3, 3, 106: acetum, sharp, pungent, Pers. 5, 86: sucus, Plin. 25, 8, 50, § 89.—
II Trop., biting, disposed to bite.
   A Of persons: Cynicus, biting, snarling, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 18: lividus et mordax, id. S. 1, 4, 93.—
   B Of inanim. and abstr. things: carmen, Ov. Tr. 2, 563: invidia, Phaedr. 5 prol. 8: verum, Pers. 1, 107: sollicitudines, biting, carking, Hor. C. 1, 18, 4: belle interim subicitur pro eo, quod neges, aliud mordacius, a more stinging assertion, Quint. 6, 3, 74.—Hence, adv.: mordācĭter, bitingly (poet. and postclass. prose), Macr. S. 7, 3, 8.—Comp.: neque enim in nobis febris alias partes mordacius impellit, sed per omnia pari aequalitate discurrit, Sen. Q. N. 6, 15, 3: limā mordacius uti, more sharply, Ov. P. 1, 5, 19: scribere, Lact. 5, 2, 12.

Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)

mordāx,¹³ ācis (mordeo),
1 habitué à mordre, mordant : Pl. Bacch. 1146 || pointu, tranchant, mordant, piquant : Hor. O. 4, 6, 9 ; Ov. Ars 2, 417 ; Plin. 18, 61
2 [fig.] mordant, caustique, satirique : Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 18 ; Ov. Tr. 2, 1, 563 || mordaces sollicitudines Hor. O. 1, 18, 4, inquiétudes qui rongent || -cior Plin. 18, 61 ; -issimus Plin. 17, 45.

Latin > German (Georges)

mordāx, ācis, Abl. ācī (mordeo), gern beißend, bissig, I) im engern Sinne: A) eig.: canis, Plaut.: equus, Labeo: Memmius, Auct. b. Cic. – B) bildl.: a) beißend, bissig mit Worten, carmen, Ov.: Cynicus, Hor.: mordaciorem qui improbo dente appetit, Phaedr. 4, 8, 1: mordacissimus homo, Sen. contr. 7. praef. § 8: mordacissimae litterae (Ggstz. pacificae), Hieron. epist. 82, 4. – b) nagend, zehrend, sollicitudines, Hor. carm. 1, 18, 4: curae mordacissimae, Augustin. conf. 7, 5 extr. – II) im weiteren Sinne, I) beißend, zusammenbeißend, fibula, Sidon. carm. 5, 18. – 2) stechend, urtica, Ov.: arista mordacior hordeo, Plin.: mordacissima marga, Plin. – 3) scharf, a) = einschneidend, einhauend, ferrum (Beil), Hor. carm. 4, 6, 9. – b) = wegbeißend, beizend, ätzend, pulvis, Plin.: pumex, Ov. – c) dem Geschmacke nach beißend, scharf, acetum, Pers.: fel, Ov.: sucus, Plin.