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.

1. lŭes, is (nom. lŭis, Prud. Hamart. 250; id. Psych. 508; old acc. lueruem, i. e. luerem for luem, Carm. Fratr. Arv.), f. [akin to λοιμός; Sanscr. root lū, to cut; cf. λυτήρ, λύτρον, solvo], a plague, pestilence.

  1. I. Lit., Carm. Fratr. Arv.: dira lues quondam Latias vitiaverat auras, Ov. M. 15, 626: lues et pestifer annus, Verg. A. 3, 139; Mart. 1, 79, 2; Luc. 2, 199; Licin. Macer. ap. Non. 52, 10.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Any spreading evil, common calamity or misfortune; of war: immensa belli lues, Tac. H. 3, 15; of an earthquake, id. A. 2, 47; of a tempest, Sen. Hippol. 1117.
    2. B. As a term of abuse, of whatever has a blighting influence, a plague, pest, Cic. Harusp. Resp. 12: saeva Thebarum lues, i. e. the Sphinx, Sen. Phoen. 131: illa horrida lues, of Hannibal, Sil. 10, 603: dira illa lues, id. 16, 622: pellere saevam Quondam fata luem dederunt Aquilone creatis, i. e. the Harpies, Val. Fl. 4, 431.
    3. C. Decay, corruption: morum, Plin. 29, 1, 8, § 27.

lŭis, v. lues init.