Lewis & Short

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lūdo, si, sum (inf. ludier, Ter. Ad. 4, 3, 16), 3, v. a. and n. [root lud- for loid-, from Sanscr. krīd, to play; cf. laus and cluere from Sanscr. root cru-], to play.

  1. I. Lit., to play, play at a game of some kind: tesseris, Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 21: aleā ludere, Cic. Phil. 2, 23, 56: pilā et duodecim scriptis, id. de Or. 1, 50, 217; 1, 16, 73; 2, 62, 253: cum pila, id. Tusc. 5, 20, 60: trocho, Hor. C. 3, 24, 56: nucibus, Mart. 14, 1, 12: pilā, Val. Max. 8, 8, 2: positā luditur arcā, with one’s whole cash-box staked, Juv. 1, 90: eburnis quadrigis cotidie in abaco, Suet. Ner. 22: apud quem alea lusum esse dicetur, Dig. 11, 5, 1 praef.: senatus consultum vetuit in pecuniam ludere, to play for money, ib. 11, 5, 2: ego nisi quom lusim nil morer ullum lucrum, Plaut. Rud. 4, 7, 22.
          1. (β) With acc.: aleam, Suet. Aug. 70; id. Claud. 33; id. Ner. 30: par impar, id. Aug. 71; Hor. S. 2, 3, 248: ducatus et imperia, Suet. Ner. 35: Trojam, id. Caes. 39; id. Ner. 7: proelia latronum, Ov. A. A. 3, 357; cf. pass.: sunt aliis scriptae, quibus alea luditur, artes, id. Tr. 2, 471: alea luditur, Juv. 8, 10: aleae ludendae causa, Dig. 11, 5, 1 praef.: alea ludebatur, ib. 11, 5, 1, § 2.
          2. (γ) Absol.: lusimus per omnes dies, Suet. Aug. 71; 94; cf.: ludis circensibus elephantos lusisse, appeared in the public games, Liv. 44, 18, 8.
            In sup.: dimittere lusum, Varr. Sat. Men. 53, 7.
    1. B. To play, sport, frisk, frolic: dum se exornat, nos volo Ludere inter nos, have some fun, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 20: ludere armis, Lucr. 2, 631: suppeditant et campus noster et studia venandi honesta exempla ludendi, Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104: ad ludendumne, an ad pugnandum, arma sumturi, id. de Or. 2, 20, 84: in numerum, dance, Verg. E. 6, 28: hic juvenum series teneris immixta puellis ludit, Tib. 1, 3, 64: cumque marinae In sicco ludunt fulicae, Verg. G. 1, 363: in exiguo cymba lacu, Ov. Tr. 2, 330.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To sport, play with any thing, to practise as a pastime, amuse one’s self with any thing: illa ipsa ludens conjeci in communes locos, Cic. Par. prooem.: Prima Syracosio dignata est ludere versu Nostra … Thalia, Verg. E. 6, 1.
      Esp., to play on an instrument of music, to make or compose music or song: ludere quae vellem calamo permisit agresti, Verg. E. 1, 10: talia fumosi luduntur mense Decembri, Ov. Tr. 2, 491: quod tenerae cantent, lusit tua musa, puellae, id. Am. 3, 1, 27: coloni Versibus incomptis ludunt, Verg. G. 2, 386: carmina pastorum, id. ib. 4, 565; Suet. Ner. 3: si quid vacui sub umbra Lusimus tecum, Hor. C. 1, 22, 2.
    2. B. To sport, dally, wanton (cf. "amorous play," Milton, P. L. 9, 1045): scis solere illam aetatem tali ludo ludere, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 36: affatim edi, bibi, lusi, Liv. Andron. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. affatim, p. 11 Müll.; cf.: lusisti satis, edisti satis, atque bibisti, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 214; Ov. A. A. 2, 389; Cat. 61, 207; Suet. Tib. 44; Mart. 11, 104, 5.
    3. C. Ludere aliquem or aliquid, to play, mock, imitate, mimic a person or thing (only in mockery; cf.: partes agere, etc.): civem bonum ludit, Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 9, 1; cf.: ludere opus, to imitate work, make believe work, Hor. S. 2, 3, 252: magistratum fascibus purpurāque, App. M. 11, p. 260 fin.: ludere causas, Calp. Ecl. 1, 45: impia dum Phoebi Caesar mendacia ludit, Poët. ap. Suet. Aug. 70.
    4. D. To trifle with: summa pericula, Mart. 9, 38, 1: viribus imperii, Sen. Brev. Vit. 18, 4.
    5. E. To spend in play or amusement, to sport away: otium, Mart. 3, 67, 9.
      Hence, ludere operam, to throw away one’s labor, to labor in vain, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 135.
  3. F. To make sport or game of a person, to ridicule, rally, banter: Domitius in senatu lusit Appium collegam, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 15 a, 13: satis jocose aliquem ludere, id. ib. 2, 12, 2: omnium irrisione ludi, id. de Or. 1, 12, 50.
    Rarely with ad: caput aselli, ad quod lascivi ludebant ruris alumni, Juv. 11, 98.
  4. G. To delude, deceive: auditis, an me ludit amabilis Insania? Hor. C. 3, 4, 5; Ov. A. A. 3, 332: custodes, Tib. 1, 6, 9; 3, 4, 7.
    Comp.: hoc civili bello, quam multa (haruspicum responsa) luserunt, i. e. gave wanton, deceptive responses, Cic. Div. 2, 24, 53.

lūdus, i, m. [ludo], a play.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen., a play, game, diversion, pastime: ad pilam se aut ad talos, aut ad tessaras conferunt, aut etiam novum sibi aliquem excogitant in otio ludum, Cic. de Or. 3, 15, 58: datur concessu omnium huic aliqui ludus aetati, id. Cael. 12, 28: campestris, id. ib. 5, 11: nec lusisse pudet, sed non incidere ludum, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 36.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Ludi, public games, plays, spectacles, shows, exhibitions, which were given in honor of the gods, etc.
          1. (α) In gen.: hoc praetore ludos Apollini faciente, Cic. Brut. 20, 78: ludos committere, id. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 6: ludos magnificentissimos apparare, id. ib. 3, 8, 6: ludos apparatissimos magnificentissimosque facere, id. Sest. 54, 116: ludos aspicere, Ov. F. 6, 238: ludos persolvere alicui deo, id. ib. 5, 330: ludis, during the games, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 63, 18; Plaut. Cas. prol. 27: circus maximus ne diebus quidem ludorum Circensium … irrigabatur, Front. Aq. 97.
            Sing.: haec ultra quid erit, nisi ludus? Juv. 8, 199.
          2. (β) In this sense, ludi is freq. in appos. with the neutr. plur. of the adj. which names the games: ludi Consualia, Liv. 1, 9, 6: ludi Cerealia, id. 30, 39, 8: ludi Taurilia, id. 39, 22, 1 (Weissenb. Taurii); 34, 54, 3; cf.: quaedam faciem soloecismi habent … ut tragoedia Thyestes, ut ludi Floralia ac Megalensia … numquam aliter a veteribus dicta, Quint. 1, 5, 52; cf.: ludis Megalensibus, Gell. 2, 24, 2.
          3. (γ) Also with gen. of place: eo ipso die auditam esse eam pugnam ludis Olympiae memoriae proditum est, Cic. N. D. 2, 2, 6.
      2. 2. Stage-plays (opp. to the games of the circus): venationes autem ludosque et cum collegā et separatim edidit, Suet. Caes. 10.
    3. C. A place of exercise or practice, a school for elementary instruction and discipline (cf. schola): in ludum ire, Plaut. Pers. 2, 1, 6: fidicinus, music-school, id. Rud. prol. 43: litterarius, id. Merc. 2, 2, 32: litterarum ludi, Liv. 3, 44; 6, 25: ludus discendi, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 6: Dionysius Corinthi dicitur ludum aperuisse, id. Fam. 9, 18, 1: Isocrates, cujus e ludo, tamquam ex equo Trojano, meri principes exierunt, id. de Or. 2, 22, 94; id. Or. 42, 144: gladiatores, quos ibi Caesar in ludo habebat, Caes. B. C. 1, 14, 4: militaris, Liv. 7, 33, 1: litterarii paene ista sunt ludi et trivialis scientiae, Quint. 1, 4, 27: litterarium ludum exercere, Tac. A. 3, 66: obsides quosdam abductos e litterario ludo, Suet. Calig. 45: ibi namque (in foro) in tabernis litterarum ludi erant, Liv. 3, 44, 6: quem puerum in ludo cognōrat, Nep. Att. 10, 3: in Flavī ludum me mittere, Hor. S. 1, 6, 72; cf. Gell. 15, 11, 2; Suet. Gram. 4; id. Rhet. 1: sic veniunt ad miscellanea ludi, Juv. 11, 26.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Play, sport, i. e. any thing done, as it were, in play, without trouble, mere sport, child’s play: oratio ludus est homini non hebeti, Cic. de Or. 2, 17, 72: cum illa perdiscere ludus esset, id. Fin. 1, 8, 27: quibus (Graecis) jusjurandum jocus est, testimonium ludus, id. Fl. 5, 12.
    2. B. Sport, jest, joke, fun: si vis videre ludos jucundissimos, Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 78: ad honores per ludum et per neglegentiam pervenire, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181: aliquem per ludum et jocum evertere, id. ib. 2, 1, 60, § 155: amoto quaeramus seria ludo, Hor. S. 1, 1, 27: vertere seria ludo, id. A. P. 226: nil per ludum simulabitur, Juv. 6, 324: ut ludos facit, Ter. Phorm. 5, 7, 52: ludos facere aliquem, to make sport of, make game of, to banter, jeer at, mock: ut nunc is te ludos facit, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 47: quem, senecta aetate, ludos facias, id. Aul. 2, 2, 74.
      With dat.: miris modis dī ludos faciunt hominibus, Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 1; id. Truc. 4, 2, 46.
      In pass.: ludos fieri, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 72: hocine me aetatis ludos vis factum esse indigne? id. Bacch. 5, 1, 4: ludos aliquem dimittere, to send one away with scorn and derision, or, as in Engl., to send one off with a flea in his ear: numquam hercle quisquam me lenonem dixerit, si te non ludos pessimos dimisero, id. Rud. 3, 5, 11: ludos facis me, id. Am. 2, 1, 21: facere ludos aliquid, to make a jest or a trifle of any thing, to throw away, to lose: nunc et operam ludos facit, et retia, etc., id. Rud. 4, 1, 9: ludos dare, praebere, to make one’s self ridiculous, Ter. Eun. 5, 7, 9: ludos alicui reddere, to play tricks on, id. And. 3, 1, 21: dare ludum alicui, to give play to one, i. e. to humor, indulge, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 10, 7; id. Cas. prol. 25; id. Bacch. 4, 10, 9: amori dare ludum, Hor. C. 3, 12, 1: ludus aetatis, the pleasures of love: si frui liceret ludo aetatis, praesertim recto et legitimo amore, Liv. 26, 50.
    3. C. Ludus, the title of a work of Nævius: ut est in Naevii Ludo, Cic. de Sen. 6, 20; Fest. s. v. redhostire, p. 270, 22 Müll.
      Also, Ludus de Morte Claudii, a work of Seneca.