Lewis & Short

intĕrĭor, ĭus, gen. ōris [comp. from inter, whence also sup. intimus], inner, interior; nearer (class.).

  1. I.
    1. A. In gen.: in interiore aedium parte, Cic. Sest. 10: spatium, Ov. M. 7, 670: secessit in partem interiorem, Liv. 40, 8: in interiore parte ut maneam solus cum sola, i.e. within, in the women’s apartment, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 31: interior domus, the inner part of the house, Verg. A. 1, 637; cf. epistola, the body of the letter, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 5: erit aliquid interius (mente), Cic. N. D. 1, 11: motu cietur interiore et suo (opp. quod pulsu agitatur externo), id. Tusc. 1, 23, 54: nationes, i. e. living farther in the interior, farther inland, id. de Imp. Pomp. 22: homo, i. e. the life and soul, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 66.
      Hence, substt.
      1. 1. intĕrĭōres, um, m., they who live farther inland: Angrivarii multos redemptos ab interioribus reddidere, Tac. A. 2, 24.
      2. 2. intĕrĭōra, the inner parts or places: aedium, Cic. Att. 4, 3, 3: regni, Liv. 42, 39, 1: navis, Vulg. Jon. 1, 5: deserti, id. Exod. 3, 1.
          1. (β) Esp. of the body, intestines, bowels: interiorum morbi, Cels. 1 praef. § 68; Veg. 1, 39, 2.
          2. (γ) Trop., the feelings, character: interiora ejus plena sunt dolo, Vulg. Sir. 19, 23.
    2. B. Esp., in the race-course, nearer the goal, on the left; for they drove from right to left: nunc stringam metas interiore rotā, Ov. Am. 3, 2, 12: meta, id. A. A. 2, 426: gyrus, Hor. S. 2, 6, 26; cf. Verg. A. 11, 695: et medius . . . ibat, et interior, si comes unus erat, Ov. F. 5, 68.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. Nearer: toto corpore interior periculo vulneris factus, i. e. as he was too near him to be in danger of a wound from him, Liv. 7, 10: ictibus, within the line of fire, id. 24, 34: timor, Cic. de Or. 2, 51: torus, the side nearest the wall, Ov. Am. 3, 14, 32: nota Falerni, from the inmost part of the cellar, i. e. the oldest, Hor. C. 2, 3, 8: sponda regiae lecticae, Suet. Caes. 49.
    2. B. More hidden, secret, or unknown: sed haec quoque in promptu fuerint: nunc interiora videamus, Cic. Div. 2, 60: interiores et reconditae litterae, id. N. D. 3, 16, 42: consilia, Nep. Hann. 2: haec interiora, the personal worth, opp. illa externa, public deeds, Cic. Ac. 2, 2, 4.
    3. C. Deeper, more intimate, nearer: vicini, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 7: societas, id. Off. 3, 17: amicitia interior, Liv. 42, 17: potentia, greater, Tac. H. 1, 2: cura, Sil. 16, 339; cf. litterae, more profound, Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 9; 7, 33, 2.
      Neutr. plur., with gen.: in interiora regni se recepit, Liv. 42, 39.
      Hence, intĕrĭ-us, adv., in the inner part, on the inside, within, = intra (freq. only since the Aug. per.): ne fluat oratio, ne vagetur, ne insistat interius, ne excurrat longius, i. e. be too short or brief, Cic. de Or. 3, 49, 190; cf. Sen. Tranq. 9: in eo sinu duo maria: Ionium in prima parte, interius Hadriaticum, Plin. 3, 26, 29, § 150; cf. Mela, 1, 6, 2; 1, 19, 1; 2, 1, 12: rapiat sitiens Venerem interiusque recondat, Verg. G. 3, 137; so Ov. M. 6, 306.
    4. B. Esp. farther inland, farther from the sea: penetrare, Vell. 2, 120, 2: habitare, Mel. 2, 1, 12: esse, id. 1, 19, 1; Plin. 3, 26, 29, § 150.
    5. C. Trop. of mental operations, more inwardly or deeply: ne insistat interius (oratio), Cic. de Or. 3, 49, 190: attendere, Juv. 11, 15.