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.

mĕrē, adv., v. merus fin.

mĕrus, a, um, adj. [root mar-, to gleam; cf.: μάρμαρος, marmor, mare; hence, bright, pure], pure, unmixed, unadulterated, esp. of wine not mixed with water: merum antiqui dicebant solum: at nunc merum purum appellamus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 124 Müll.

  1. I. Lit.: vinum merum, Varr. ap. Non. 4, 295: vina, Ov. M. 15, 331.
    Of other things: argentum merum, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 3: undae, Ov. M. 15, 323: lac, id. F. 4, 369: gustus, Col. 3, 21: claror, clear, unclouded, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 111: mero meridie, Petr. 37.
    Hence,
      1. 2. Subst.: mĕrum, i, n., pure, unmixed wine, wine not mixed with water (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): ingurgitare se in merum, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 35; Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 11; id. C. 1, 36, 13: objecturus Antonio Cicero merum et vomitum, Quint. 8, 4, 16: meri veteris torrens, Juv. 6, 319; 3, 283; Val. Fl. 5, 595: ad merum pronior, Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 145; 23, 1, 23, § 43.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. Bare, naked, uncovered (poet.): pes, Juv. 6, 158: stabat calce merā, Prud. στεφ. 6, 91.
      2. 2. In gen., bare, nothing but, only, mere (class.): meri bellatores gignuntur, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 85: in medio (foro) ostentatores meri (ambulant), id. Curc. 4, 1, 15: Diogenem postea pallium solum habuisse, et habere Ulixem meram tunicam, nothing but, only, Varr. ap. Non. 344, 10: nihil, nisi spem meram, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 95: mera monstra nuntiare, Cic. Att. 4, 7, 1: proscriptiones, meri Sullae, id. ib. 9, 11, 3: scelera loquuntur, id. ib. 9, 13, 1: bellum, id. ib. 9, 13, 8: nugae, id. ib. 6, 3, 5: adfectus, Quint. 11, 1, 52.
  2. II. Trop., pure, true, real, genuine, unadulterated: meri principes, Cic. de Or. 2, 22, 94: velut ex diutinā siti nimis avide meram haurientes libertatem, immoderate, excessive, Liv. 39, 26; cf. Cic. Rep. 1, 43, 66; but mera libertas, in Horace, signifies true, genuine freedom, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 8: Achaia, illa vera et mera Graecia, Plin. Ep. 8, 24, 2: Cecropis, a real Athenian, Juv. 6, 187.
    Hence, adv.: mĕrē, purely, without mixture, wholly, entirely (ante-class. and post-Aug.): si semel amoris poculum accepit mere, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 22.