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.

2. pĕcus, ŭdis (masc.: pecudi marito, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 659 P. or Trag. v. 336 Vahl.
Nom. sing., Caesar ap. Prisc. p. 719; cf. Charis. p. 72.
Plur. collat. form, neutr., pecuda, Att., Sisenn., and Cic. ap. Non. 159, 11; v. infra), f. [same root with pecu and pecus, ŏris], a single head of cattle, a beast, brute, animal, one of a herd (opp.: pecus, pecŏris, cattle collectively; different from animal, which includes man).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: Neptuni pecudes terrestres pecudes, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 45: squammigerum pecudes, the fishes, Lucr. 2, 343: genus aequoreum, pecudes pictaeque volucres, land animals, Verg. G. 3, 243: genera pecudum ferarum, Varr. R. R. 2, 1: anates buxeis rostris pecudes, Varr. ap. Non. 460, 9: quā pecude (sc. sue) nihil genuit natura fecundius, Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 160: quantum natura hominis pecudibus reliquisque bestiis antecedat, domestic animals, id. Off. 1, 30, 105: ista non modo homines, sed ne pecudes quidem mihi passurae esse videntur, id. Cat. 2, 9, 20; id. Att. 1, 16, 6.
      Plur. neutr. pecuda: vagant, pavore pecuda in tumulis deserunt, Att. ap. Non. 159, 11; Sisenn. ap. Non. 159, 17: cum adhibent in pecuda pastores, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 159, 13.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. A head of small cattle, one of a flock: at variae crescunt pecudes armenta feraeque, Lucr. 5, 228.
      2. 2. A sheep: haedi cornigeras norunt matres, agnique petulci balantum pecudes, Lucr. 2, 369; Ov. F. 4, 903: pecudem spondere sacello Balantem, Juv. 13, 232: pecus et caprae, Plin. 24, 11, 53, § 90.
      3. 3. Collectively, = 1. pecus, id genus pecudis, horses, Col. 6, 27, 13.
  2. II. Transf., as a term of reproach for an ignorant, stupid, or filthy person, a beast, brute: istius, pecudis ac putidae carnis consilium, Cic. Pis. 9, 19: istius impurissimae atque intemperantissimae pecudis sordes, id. ib. 29, 72; id. Phil. 8, 3, 9; cf.: Gaius Caesar pecudem auream eum appellare solitus est, Tac. A. 13, 1.