sordes

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

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.
   (a)    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.—
   (b)    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, id. 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).
   (a)    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.—
   (b)    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.