Lewis & Short

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sordĕo, ēre, v. n. [cf. Goth. svarts; Germ. schwarz, black], to be dirty, filthy, foul (rare; not in Cic.; syn. squaleo).

  1. I. Lit.: Di. Jam lavisti? Ph. Num tibi sordere videor? Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 28: cui manus materno sordet sparsa sanguine, Att. ap. Non. 170, 6: non splendeat toga: ne sordeat quidem, Sen. Ep. 5, 2: nullā teneri lanugine vultus, Mart. 1, 32, 5: Albanoque cadum sordentem promere fumo, Stat. S. 4, 8, 39: incola sordentium ganearum, Gell. 9, 2, 6.
  2. II. Trop., to be mean, base, low, or sordid: haud sordere visus est Festus dies, i. e. had nothing mean or sordid in its appearance, Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 6: convivium inopiā, Favor. ap. Gell. 15, 8, 20: ignobilia et sordentia (verba), low, vulgar, Gell. 19, 13, 3 (shortly before, sordidum verbum).
    1. B. Transf., to seem base or paltry; to be despised, slighted, or held of no account: suis sordere (with contemni), Liv. 4, 25, 11; Quint. 8, prooem. § 26: sordent tibi munera nostra, Verg. E. 2, 44; Stat. S. 1, 3, 98: cunctane prae campo sordent? Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 4: pretium aetas altera sordet, a renewal of youth seems too small a price, id. ib. 1, 18, 18: quippe sordent prima quaeque, cum majora sperantur, Curt. 10, 10, 8: si conferas et componas Graeca ipsa, oppido quam jacere atque sordere incipiunt, quae Latina sunt, to seem paltry, of small account, Gell. 2, 23, 3.

sordes, is (abl. sordi, Lucr. 6, 1271; usu. sorde), f. [sordeo], dirt, filth, uncleanness, squalor (class.; esp. freq. in a trop. sense, and in plur.; syn.: situs, squalor, caenum, illuvies).

  1. I. Lit.
          1. (α) 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.
          2. (β) 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.
    1. 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.
  2. II. Trop., lowness or meanness of rank, a low condition; meanness, baseness of behavior or disposition (syn. illiberalitas).
    1. 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.
      1. 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.
    2. B. In partic., meanness, stinginess, niggardliness, sordidness (cf.: parcimonia, avaritia).
          1. (α) 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.
          2. (β) 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.