sordes (noun F) : (abl. sordi, Lucr. 6, 1271; usu. sorde), sordeo
* Dirt, filth, uncleanness, squalor (class.; esp. freq. in a trop. sense, and in plur.; syn.: situs, squalor, caenum, illuvies).
* Lit.
* 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.
* Trop., lowness or meanness of rank, a low condition; meanness, baseness of behavior or disposition (syn. illiberalitas).
* 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.
* 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,Cic. 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.
* 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.
* In partic., meanness, stinginess, niggardliness, sordidness (cf.: parcimonia, avaritia).
* 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.
* 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.