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.

spurcus, a, um, adj. [cf. spargo], dirty, unclean, impure (class.; syn.: immundus, impurus, obscenus).

  1. I. Lit.: res, Lucr. 6, 782; cf.: rem spurcissimam gustare, Varr. ap. Non. 394, 11: quaeque aspectu sunt spurca et odore, Lucil. ib. 394, 25: saliva, Cat. 78, 8; 99, 10: ager, Col. 1, praef. § 25: spurcum atque pollutum vas, Gell. 17, 19, 4; App. M. 1, p. 108, 21: si quid est urinā spurcius, Gell. 17, 19, 4: tempestas spurcissima, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 394, 9: spurcatissimis tempestatibus, Suet. Caes. 60: spurcum vinum est, quod sacris adhiberi non licet, ut ait Labeo Antistius, cui aqua admixta est defrutumve aut igne tactum est, mustumve antequam defervescat, Fest. p. 348 Müll.; cf. Isid. Orig. 20, 3.
    Of obscene defilement: noctes, Plaut. As. 4, 1, 62; cf. lupae, Mart. 1, 35, 8.
  2. II. Trop., of character or condition, foul, base, low, mean, common: Samnis, spurcus homo, Lucil. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41: lictor, Varr. ap. Non. 394 5: Dama, Hor. S. 2, 5, 18: QVAESTVS, i. e. lenocinium, Inscr. Murat. 1773, 8.
    Comp.: nihil est te spurcius uno, Mart. 4, 56, 3.
    Sup.: capita taeterrima et spurcissima, Cic. Phil. 11, 1, 1: homo avarissime et spurcissime, id. Verr. 2, 1, 37, § 94: homo spurcissimae vitae ac defamatissimae, Gell. 14, 2, 10: praeferendam esse spurcissimam mortem servituti mundissimae, Sen. Ep. 70, 21: spurca ingenii vestigia, Afran. ap. Non. 393, 27.
    Hence, adv.: spurcē, dirtily, impurely.
      1. 1. Lit.: sus in pabulatione spurce versatur, Col. 7, 9, 14.
      2. 2. Trop., basely, meanly, villanously: spurce factum, Auct. Her. 1, 5, 8: qui in illam miseram tam spurce, tam impie dixeris, i. e. hast charged her with unchastity, Cic. Phil. 2, 38, 99 fin.
        Comp.:         spurcius nos quam alios opicos appellatione foedant, Cato ap. Plin. 29, 1, 7, § 14.
        Sup.: perscribere spurcissime, Cic. Att. 11, 13, 2.