(adjective) : dē-gĕner, is (abl. degeneri, Tac. A. 12, 19), genus
* That departs from its race or kind, degenerate, not genuine (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; esp. freq. in Plin. and Tac.; not in Quint. and Suet.).
* Lit.: Neoptolemum,Verg. A. 2, 549; cf. proles,Luc. 8, 693; Tac. A. 12, 62: dignitate formae haud degener,id. ib. 12, 51: hi (Galli) jam degeneres sunt, mixti, et Gallograeci vere, quod appellantur,Liv. 38, 17, 9; 38, 49, 4: canum degeneres,Plin. 11, 50, 111, § 265: aquila,id. 10, 3, 3, § 8: herbae,id. 17, 5, 3, § 33: adamantes,id. 37, 4, 15, § 58.
* With gen.: patrii non degener oris,Ov. Pont. 3, 5, 7; so, sanguinis,Stat. Th. 9, 619: patriae artis,Ov. M. 11, 314: altae virtutis patrum,Sil. 10, 68; Plin. 5, 8, 8, § 44.
* Transf., mentally or morally degenerate, ignoble, base: Muttinem sibi modum facere, degenerem Afrum!Liv. 25, 40, 12: Artabanum materna origine Arsacidem, cetera degenerem,Tac. A. 6, 42; cf.: vitā non degener,id. ib. 4, 61: non degener ad pericula,id. ib. 1, 40: degeneres animos timor arguit,Verg. A. 4, 13: animi,Luc. 6, 417: metus,id. 3, 149: questus,Val. Fl. 1, 164: preces,Tac. A. 12, 36 fin.: projectus,id. H. 3, 65 fin.: insidiae,id. A. 11, 19 et saep.—Of language: bilingues, paulatim a domestico externo sermone degeneres,Curt. 7, 5, 29.—Poet.: toga (for togati),Luc. 1, 365.—With abl. ( = indignus): degener haud Gracchis consul,Sil. 4, 5, 17: tantoduce,Ambros. de Jacob. 2, 11, 45.

s. TLL