wisdom is often hid under a ragged cloak

sordĭdus, a, um, adj. [sordeo], dirty, unclean, foul, filthy, squalid, sordid (class.).

Lit. (syn.: squalidus, obscenus): vestem squalam et sordidam, Enn. ap. Non. 504, 6 (Trag. v. 370 Vahl.):

amictus,

Verg. A. 6, 301; cf.:

sordidior toga,

Mart. 1, 104, 5:

mappa,

Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 22; Mart. 7, 20, 8:

lana,

Ov. A. A. 3, 222:

fumus,

Hor. C. 4, 11, 11:

at pol nitent, haud sordidae videntur ambae,

Plaut. Bacch. 5, 2, 6:

servolicolae,

id. Poen. 1, 2, 55:

nati,

Hor. C. 2, 18, 28; cf.:

magnos duces Non indecoro pulvere sordidos,

id. ib. 2, 1, 22:

puer sordidissimus dentibus,

Petr. 64, 6 et saep.—Esp.:

sordido in loco sedere,

Val. Max. 9, 13, 2.— Transf., of mourners, clad in mourning, Cic. Mur. 40, 86.— Poet.:

Auctumnus calcatis sordidus uvis,

Ov. M. 2, 29; id. F. 4, 897;

Col. poët. 10, 44: terga suis,

sooty, dingy, Ov. M. 8, 648.—Prov.: saepe est etiam sub palliolo sordido sapientia, wisdom is often hid under a ragged cloak, Caecil. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 23, 56.—

Transf., low, base, mean, as to birth, rank, or condition; poor, humble, small, paltry (syn.:

illiberalis, infimus): causam commisisse homini egenti, sordido, sine honore, sme censu,

Cic. Fl. 22, 52; id. Att. 8, 4, 2; id. Leg. 3, 16, 35; Hor. C. 1, 28, 14.— Sup.:

sordidissimus quisque,

Liv. 1, 47, 11:

familiae sordidissima pars,

Petr. 132, 3; cf.:

loco non humili solum sed etiam sordido ortus,

Liv. 22, 25, 18:

a sordidis initiis ad summa crevere,

Just. 2, 6, 2:

sordidum et obscurum Macedonum nomen,

id. 6, 9, 7:

genus alicujus,

id. 22, 1, 1:

panis,

Plaut. As. 1, 2, 16; Sen. Ep. 18, 5:

villula,

Cic. Att. 12, 27, 1; cf.

tecta,

Luc. 4, 396:

sedes,

id. 5, 9:

lar villae,

Mart. 12, 57, 2:

rura (with humiles casae),

Verg. E. 2, 28:

aratra,

Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 414;

hence also, otia, i. e. ruris,

Mart. 1, 56, 4 —

Trop., low, mean, base, abject, vile, despicable, disgraceful (syn. turpis).

In gen., Cic. Phil. 1, 8, 20:

iste omnium turpissimus et sordidissimus,

id. Att. 9, 9, 3:

multo homo sordidissimus,

id. Scaur. 2, § 23:

homo furiosus ac sordidus,

id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 6, § 19:

nec minus laetabor, cum te semper sordidum, quam si paulisper sordidatum viderem,

id. Pis. 41, 99:

illiberales et sordidi quaestus mercenariorum omnium, quorum operae, non quorum artes emuntur... Sordidi etiam putandi, qui mercantur a mercatoribus, quod statim vendant, etc.... Opifices omnes in sordidā arte versantur, etc.... mercatura autem, si tenuis est, sordida putanda est, etc.,

id. Off. 1, 42, 150:

lucrum,

Quint. 1, 2, 16 sq.; cf.: sordidissima ratio et inquinatissima, Cic. Off. 2, 6, 21:

qui (oratores) ne sordidiores quidem (artis) repudiarint (opp. praeclarissimas),

id. de Or. 3, 32, 128:

virtus repulsae nescia sordidae,

Hor. C. 3, 2, 17:

adulterium,

Liv. 1, 58:

nomen,

Quint. 8, 3, 21:

verba,

id. 8, 3, 17; 8, 3, 49; 2, 5, 10:

multa,

id. 2, 12, 7:

omnia, id 10, 1, 9: homines nullā re bonā dignos, cum quibus comparari sordidum, confligere autem miserum et periculosum sit,

Cic. Rep. 1, 5, 9; id. Off. 2, 14, 50; cf.:

qui pecuniam praeferre amicitiae sordidum existiment,

id. Lael. 17, 63.—

In partic., mean, niggardly, penurious, sordid (cf. parcus):

ita sordidus, ut se Non umquam servo melius vestiret,

Hor. S. 1, 1, 96; 1, 1, 65; 1, 2, 10; 2, 3, 164; Quint. 5, 13, 26; Plin. Ep. 2, 6, 1 (opp. sumptuosus):

perjurium,

Phaedr. 4, 19, 23:

cupido,

Hor. C. 2, 16, 16; cf. Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150 supra.—Hence, adv.: sordĭdē.

Lit., dirtily, foully:

per plateas tractus est sordidissime,

through the deepest mire, Lampr. Heliog. 33 med. —

Transf., meanly, basely:

quo sordidius et abjectius nati sunt,

Tac. Or. 8.—

Trop.

Vulgarly, unbecomingly, poorly:

loquitur laute et minime sordide,

Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 11:

dicere,

Cic. de Or. 2, 83, 339:

contionari,

id. Att. 15, 2, 2:

declamare (opp. splendide atque ornate),

Suet. Rhet. 6; Gell. 15, 4, 3.—

Meanly, stingily, penuriously, sordidly:

nimis illum sordide Simonidi dixisse, se dimidium ejus ei, quod pactus esset, pro illo carmine daturum,

Cic. de Or. 2, 86, 352:

facere aliquid (opp. largissime),

Suet. Dom. 9:

gerere proconsulatum,

Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 2.