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.

scĕlĕro, no perf., ātum, 1, v. a. [scelus], to pollute, defile, contaminate, desecrate (in the verb. finit. rare, and only poet.; syn.: temero, polluo): impia non verita est divos scelerare parentes, Cat. 64, 405; cf. Stat. Th. 2, 663: sanguine fauces, id. ib. 8, 761: parce pias scelerare manus, Verg. A. 3, 42: Cererem, Juv. 9, 25: animum, Sil. 16, 122; cf.: dextram sanguine, Stat. Th. 9, 666.
Hence, scĕlĕrātus, a, um, P. a., polluted, profaned by crime.

  1. A. Lit. (appellatively; only in the poets): terra, Verg. A. 3, 60: terrae, Ov. P. 1, 6, 29: limina Thracum, id. M. 13, 628.
    1. 2. In partic., as an adj. prop., denoting places where crimes had been committed or criminals punished. So,
      1. a. Sceleratus Vicus, that part of the Vicus Cyprius, on the Esquiline, in which Tullia, daughter of Servius Tullius, drove over her father’s corpse, Liv. 1, 48; Varr. L. L. 5, § 159 Müll.; Ov. F. 6, 609; Fest. pp. 332 and 333 Müll.
      2. b. Sceleratus Campus, under the city will hard by the porta Collina, where unchaste Vestals were buried alive, Liv. 8, 15; Fest. l. l.; Serv. Verg. A. 11, 206.
      3. c. Scelerata sedes, the place of punishment for the wicked in Tartarus, Tib. 1, 3, 67; Ov. M. 4, 455; also called Sceleratum limen, Verg. A. 6, 563.
        For Scelerata Porta and Castra, v. infra, B. 2. b.
  2. B. Transf.
    1. 1. Subjectively, bad, impious, wicked, ac-cursed, infamous, vicious, flagitious; in the masc. subst., a bad, impious, or vicious person ; a wretch, miscreant (the predom. signif.; freq. with nefarius, impious, etc.; cf. consceleratus); of persons: virum sceleratum, facinorosum, nefarium, Cic. Rep. 3, 17, 27: deliberantium genus totum sceleratum et impium, id. Off. 3, 8, 37; id. Mur. 30, 62 (with nefarius); id. Att. 9, 15, 5 (with impurus); Caes. B. G. 6, 13 (with impius); Plaut. Pers. 2, 4, 4; Ter. And. 1, 1, 132; id. Ad. 4, 2, 14; Cic. Cat. 1, 9, 23; Caes. B. G. 6, 34; Sall. C. 52, 36: facto plus et sceleratus eodem, Ov. M. 3, 5: puella, id. R. Am. 299; Liv. 1, 59; 31, 31; Suet. Ner. 46; Hor. S. 2, 3, 71; 2, 3, 221 al.
      Comp.: homo sceleratior, Ov. M. 11, 781.
      Sup.: refertam esse Graeciam sceleratissimorum hominum, Cic. Planc. 41, 98; Sall. J. 14, 2; 31, 12; Liv. 4, 32 et saep.
      Of things: sceleratas ejus preces et nefaria vota cognovimus, Cic. Clu. 68, 194: contra patriam scelerata arma capere, id. Phil. 11, 1, 1; Ov. M. 5, 102: conjuratio, Liv. 2, 6: insania belli, Verg. A. 7, 461: caput, Plaut. Ep. 3, 2, 33: vox (with inhumana), Cic. Fin. 3, 19, 64: consilia, Vell. 2, 130, 3: amor habendi, Ov. M. 1, 131: munera, id. ib. 8, 94: ignes, id. F. 6, 439.
      Comp.: a sceleratiore hastā, Cic. Off. 2, 8, 29: causa parricidii, Just. 10, 2, 1.
      Sup.: res, Quint. 3, 8, 45: fraus humani ingenii, Plin. 34, 14, 39, § 138.
      Poet.: subit ira sceleratas sumere poenas, i.e. to take satisfaction for her crimes, Verg. A. 2, 576.
    2. 2. (As a result of viciousness or criminality; cf. scelus, II. C.) Hurtful, harmful, noxious, pernicious, unhappy, unfortunate, calamitous, etc. (only poet. and in postAug. prose): teritur sinapis scelerata: qui terunt, oculi ut exstillent, facit, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 28: herba, App. Herb. 8.
      Sup.: sceleratissimis serpentium haemorrhoidi et presteri, Plin. 24, 13, 73, § 117: frigus, Verg. G. 2, 256: lues, Mart. 1, 102, 6: poëmata, id. 3, 50, 9 et saep.: MATER, Inscr. Rein. cl. 12, 122; so Inscr. Fabr. p. 237, 631: PARENTES, Inscr. Murat. 1187, 2.
      1. b. Made hurtful, i. e. poisoned: scelerata sucis spicula, Sil. 3, 272.
      2. c. As an adj. prop.
        1. (α) Scelerata Porta, the gate (also called Porta Carmentalis) through which the three hundred Fabii marched on their fatal expedition, Fest. pp. 334 and 335 Müll.; Serv. Verg. A. 8, 337; Flor. 1, 12, 2.
        2. (β) Scelerata Castra, the camp in which D. Drusus died, Suet. Claud. 1.
          Hence, adv.: scĕlĕrātē (acc. to B. 1.), impiously, wickedly, nefariously (Ciceronian): peccavi scelerateque feci, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 2: facere (with audacter), id. Sull. 24, 67: dicere (opp. pie), id. Mil. 38, 103: susceptum bellum, id. Cat. 1, 10, 27.
          Comp.: sceleratius, Vulg. Ezech. 16, 52.
          Sup.: sceleratissime machinatus omnes insidias, Cic. Sest. 64, 133.

scĕlĕrus, a, um, adj. [scelus], wicked, abominable: sinapis, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 28: caput, id. ib. 5, 1, 3; cf. Serv Verg. A. 9, 486.

scĕlus, ĕris, n. [Sanscr. root skhal, to fall, akin to khal-, to deceive; cf. Goth. skal, to owe], an evil deed; a wicked, heinous, or impious action; a crime, sin, enormity, wickedness (the strongest general term for a morally bad act or quality; very freq. both in sing. and plur.; cf. nefas).

  1. I. Lit.
      1. 1. Absol.: facinus est vincire civem Romanum, scelus verberare, prope parricidium necare, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 170; cf. so (opp. to flagitia and delicta) Tac. G. 12: majus in sese scelus concipere nefariis sceleribus coöpertus, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 4, § 9; id. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: detestabile scelus, id. Lael. 8, 27: scelus atque perfidia, id. Rosc. Am. 38, 109; so (with perfidia) id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; id. Att. 2, 22, 2; 3, 13, 2; Sall. J. 107, 2; Liv. 40, 39 al.; cf. (with audacia) Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 66, § 170; (with furor) id. ib. 2, 5, 62, § 161; (with avaritia) id. ib. 2, 5, 9, § 24; id. Clu. 8, 23: documentum Persarum sceleris, id. Rep. 3, 9, 15: ex hac parte pudor pugnat, illinc petulantia … hinc pietas, illinc scelus, id. Cat. 2, 11, 25: scelus est igitur, nocere bestiae, quod scelus qui velit, etc., id. Rep. 3, 11, 19: quid mali aut sceleris fingi aut excogitari potest, quod, etc., id. Cat. 2, 4, 7: nefario scelere concepto, id. Verr. 2, 4, 32, § 72: concipere in se, id. ib. 2, 1, 4, § 9 (v. supra): tantum sceleris admittere, id. Att. 9, 10, 3: scelus nefarium facere, id. de Or. 1, 51, 221; cf. id. Rosc. Am. 9, 25: perficere, id. Clu. 68, 194: scelus an-helare, id. Cat. 2, 1, 1: moliri, id. Att. 7, 11, 1: edere, id. Phil. 13, 9, 21; cf.: edere in aliquem, id. Sest. 27, 58: suscipere, id. Phil. 11, 1, 2: scelere se alligare, id. Fl. 17, 41: scelere astringi, id. Sest. 50, 108: scelere obstringi, id. Verr. 2, 4, 32, § 71: obrui, Liv. 3, 19 et saep.
      2. 2. With gen. obj.: scelus legatorum contra jus gentium interfectorum, the crime of murdering their deputies, Liv. 4, 32.
        Prov.: vulgo dicitur: Scelera non habere consilium, Quint. 7, 2, 44.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. Of animals or inanimate things (post-Aug.; perh. only in Plin.), a bad quality, vicious nature, a vice, fault: nec bestiarum solum ad nocendum scelera sunt, sed interim aquarum quoque et locorum, Plin. 25, 3, 6, § 20: maximum salamandrae, id. 29, 4, 23, § 74: Scythae sagittas tingunt viperină sanie … inremediabile id scelus, id. 11, 53, 115, § 279.
    2. B. Concr., in vulgar lang. as a term of reproach, rascal, scoundrel, villain, rogue; and of women, drab, baggage, etc.: minime miror, navis si fracta tibi, Scelus te et sceleste parta quae vexit bona, Plant. Rud. 2, 6, 22; id. Am. 2, 1, 7; id. Bacch. 5, 1, 9; id. Mil. 3, 2, 14; 3, 2, 27; id. Pers. 4, 9, 6; Ter. And. 2, 1, 17; 4, 1, 42; id. Eun. 5, 4, 19; id. Ad. 5, 1, 6; 5, 1, 12 al.; cf.: scelus viri, you scoundrel of a man, Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 60.
      With a masc. pron.: is me scelus attondit, etc., Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 9: ubi illic est scelus, quid me perdidit? Ter. And. 3, 5, 1; cf.: scelus, quemnam hic laudat? id. ib. 5, 2, 3.
    3. C. In Plaut., Ter., and Mart., a mishap (qs. arising from wickedness), a misfortune, calamity (cf. sceleratus, B. 2., and scelestus, II.): perdidi unum filium puerum quadrimum … Major potitus hostium est: quod hoc est scelus! Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 104: Pa. Quid hoc est sceleris? Ch. Perii, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 34 Ruhnk.; Mart. 7, 14, 1.
    4. D. A natural catastrophe: scelera naturae, i. e. earthquakes, inundations, etc., Plin. 2, 93, 95, § 206.