Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

versĭpellis (vorsĭp-), e, adj. [vertopellis, that changes its skin; hence, in gen.], that changes its shape or form, that alters its appearance, that transforms himself or itself.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: eccum Juppiter In Amphitruonis vertit sese imaginemIta versipellem se facit, quando lubet, Plaut. Am. prol. 123: capillus fit, i. e. turns gray, id. Pers. 2, 2, 48 (v. s. v. versicapillus).
    2. B. In partic., subst.: ver-sĭpellis, is, m., acc. to the superstitious belief of the ancients, one who can change himself into a wolf, a man-wolf, were-wolf, Plin. 8, 22, 34, § 80; Petr. 62 fin.; App. M. 2, p. 124, 21.
  2. II. Trop., skilled in dissimulation, sly, cunning, crafty, subtle (anteand post-class.): vorsipellem esse hominem convenit, pectus cui sapit: bonus sit bonis, malus sit malis, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 12 Ritschl: quicum versipellis fio, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 38, 7: hortamen, Prud. Cath. 9, 91.
    Comp., Porc. Latro ap. Cat. 9.