Lewis & Short

surdus, a, um, adj. [Sanscr. svar, heavy; svaras, weight; cf. O. H. Germ. swārida, weight], deaf.

  1. I. Lit.: ne mi ut surdo verbera auris, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 204; id. Cas. 3, 3, 12: si surdus sit, varietates vocum noscere possit? Cic. Div. 2, 3, 9: utinam aut hic surdus aut haec muta facta sit, Ter. And. 3, 1, 5.
    Sup., stone-deaf, Mart. Cap. 9, § 926; Aug. Ep. 39.
    Prov.: surdo narrare, canere, etc., preach to deaf ears, talk to the wind: nae ille haud scit, quam mihi nunc surdo narret fabulam, Ter. Heaut. 2, 1, 10: cantabant surdo, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 47; cf.: non canimus surdis, Verg. E. 10, 8; and: quae (praecepta) vereor, ne vana surdis auribus cecinerim, Liv. 40, 8, 10; 3, 70, 7; Tib. 4, 14, 2: narrare asello Fabellam surdo, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 200; cf.: suadere surdis, quid sit opus facto, Lucr. 5, 1050.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Deaf to any thing, i. e. not listening, unwilling to hear, inattentive, regardless, insensible, inexorable; also, not understanding, not apprehending: orando surdas jam aures reddideras mihi, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 89; so, aures, Liv. 24, 32, 6; cf. Prop. 2, 16 (3, 8), 48; id. 2, 20 (3, 13), 13: non surdus judex, Cic. Font. 11, 25 (7, 15): ad mea munera surdus, Ov. H. 7, 27: per numquam surdos in tua vota deos, id. P. 2, 8, 28: surdae ad omnia solacia aures, Liv. 9, 7, 3: surdae ad fortia consilia Vitellio aures, Tac. H. 3, 67 init.: surdus adversus aliquid, Aug. Serm. 50, 13: surdus sum, I will not hear, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 24: surdas clamare ad undas, Ov. A. A. 1, 531: litora, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 6.
      Hence, poet. transf.: vota, i. e. to which the gods are deaf, to which they will not hearken, Pers. 6, 28: surdaeque adhibent solatia menti, Ov. M. 9, 654: tuas lacrimas litora surda bibent, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 6: leges rem surdam, inexorabilem esse, Liv. 2, 3: surda tellus, not susceptible of cultivation, Plin. 18, 3, 4, § 21: surdus timori, not capable of fear, Sil. 11, 354: tuis lacrimis, Mart. 10, 13, 8: in alicujus sermone, Cic. Tusc. 5, 40, 116.
      Comp.: scopulis surdior Icari Voces audit adhuc integer (i. e. castus), Hor. C. 3, 7, 21: surdior illa freto surgente, Ov. M. 14, 711: surdior aequoribus, id. ib. 13, 804: non saxa surdiora navitis, Hor. Epod. 17, 54.
          1. (β) With gen.: Mars genitor, votorum haud surde meorum, Sil. 10, 554: pactorum, id. 1, 692: veritatis, Col. 3, 10, 18.
    2. B. Of things that give out a dull, indistinct sound, dull-sounding (very rare): theatrum, Varr. L. L. 9, § 58 Müll.: locus, Vitr. 3, 3: loca, Sen. Herc. Fur. 576: vox, Quint. 11, 3, 32: surdum quiddam et barbarum, id. 12, 10, 28.
    3. C. Pass., that is not heard, noiseless, silent, still, mute, dumb (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): lyra, Prop. 4 (5), 5, 58: buccina, Juv. 7, 71: plectra, Stat. S. 1, 4, 19: non erit officii gratia surda tui, unsung, Ov. P. 2, 6, 31; cf. fama, Sil. 6, 75: surdum et ignobile opus, Stat. Th. 4, 359: nomen parentum, Sil. 8, 248: herbae, Plin. 22, 2, 3, § 5: quos diri conscia facti mens surdo verbere caedit, secret, Juv. 13, 194: ictus, Plin. 19, 1, 4, § 20.
    4. D. Of odor, appearance, meaning, etc., faint, dim, dull, indistinct, stupid: spirant cinnama surdum, Pers. 6, 36: colos, Plin. 37, 5, 18, § 67: hebes unitate surdā color, id. 37, 5, 20, § 76: discrimen figurarum, id. 35, 2, 2, § 4: materia, id. 13, 15, 30, § 98: res surdae ac sensu carentes, id. 20, prooem. § 1; so id. 24, 1, 1, § 3; 27, 13, 120, § 146.
      Hence, * adv.: surdē, faintly, imperfectly, indistinctly: surde audire, Afran. ap. Charis. p. 194 P. (Com. Fragm. v. 348 Rib.).