Lewis & Short

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dē-gĕner, is (abl. degeneri, Tac. A. 12, 19), adj. [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.).

  1. I. 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.
          1. (β) 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.
  2. II. 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.

dēgĕnĕro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [degener].

  1. I. Neutr., to depart from its race or kind, to degenerate (class.).
    1. A. Lit.: qui a vobis nihil degenerat, Cic. Phil. 13, 15: Pandione nata, degeneras! Ov. M. 6, 635: pomaque degenerant succos oblita priores, Verg. G. 2, 59; cf. id. ib. 1, 198: frumenta, Col. 2, 9, 11: surculus, id. 3, 9, 7: hordeum in avenam, Plin. 18, 17, 44, § 149; cf. id. 17, 15, 25, § 117: Macedones in Syros degenerarunt, Liv. 38, 17, 11; 9, 38, 3; Curt. 8, 5, 14.
    2. B. Trop.
          1. (α) With ab: ab hac virtute majorum, Cic. Fl. 11, 25; cf. Suet. Ner. 1; so, a gravitate paterna, Cic. Prov. Cons. 8, 18: a parentibus nostris, Liv. 22, 14: a familia imperiosissima, id. 9, 34: a civili more, Suet. Aug. 17: a fama vitaque sua, Tac. H. 3, 28: non modo a libertate sed etiam a servitute, id. G. 45 fin.: a Stoicis degeneravit Panaetius, Cic. Div. 1, 3, 6; cf. id. Tusc. 2, 25, 60.
          2. (β) With abl. alone: famā, Stat. Th. 3, 148.
          3. (γ) With dat. (poet.): degenerant nati patribus, Manil. 4, 78; so, Marti paterno, Stat. Th. 1, 464: patri, Claud. IV. Cons. Honor. 366.
          4. (δ) With ad or in and acc.: ad theatrales artes, Tac. A. 14, 21: in feritatem, Plin. 17, 15, 25, § 117.
            (ε) Absol.: consuetudo eum et disciplina degenerare non sineret, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 68; id. Brut. 34, 130: nec Narisci Quadive degenerant, Tac. G. 42; id. A. 14, 21; 15, 68.
  2. II. Act.
    1. A. To cause to degenerate or deteriorate: Venus carpit corpus et vires animosque degenerat, Col. 7, 12, 11: multum degenerat transcribentium fors varia, Plin. 25, 2, 4, § 8: ni degeneratum in aliis huic quoque decori offecisset, i. e. his degeneracy, his vicious character, Liv. 1, 53; see Zumpt, Gram. § 638, N. 1.
    2. B. With acc. of that from which any thing degenerates, to dishonor, to stain, by degeneracy (poet., and in post-Aug. prose): non degenerasse propinquos (sc. me), Prop. 4, 1, 81 (5, 1, 79 M): palmas, Ov. M. 7, 543: famam, Stat. Th. 4, 149; id. Silv. 3, 1, 160.
      Pass.: conspectus degenerati patris, Val. Max. 8, 4; cf. Sol. 17, 11.