Aerugo, poeticè translatum pro linguæ mordacitate, seu maledicentia, vel liuore & inuidia. Mart. Horat. Slaunder: spitefull enuie. Aerugo, metaphoricè ad segetum rubiginem transfertur.The corrupting or blasting.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
aerūgo, ĭnis, f. [aes, as ferrugo from ferrum]. I.Rust of copper: aes Corinthium in aeruginem incidit, Cic. Tusc. 4, 14; Plin. 15, 8, 8, 34; 34, 17, 48, 160.—B.Transf.1.The verdigris prepared from the same: Aeruginis quoque magnus usus est, Plin. 34, 11, 26, 110.—2. In gen., rust of gold and silver: aerugo eorum (auri et argenti) in testimonium vobis erit, Vulg. Jac. 5, 3.—3.Poet. (as pars pro toto, and sarcastic.), money, Juv. 13, 60.—II.Trop.A.Envy, jealousy, ill-will (which seek to consume the possessions of a neighbor, as rust corrodes metals): haec est Aerugo mera, Hor. S. 1, 4, 101: versus tincti viridi aerugine, Mart. 10, 33, 5; 2, 61, 5.—B.Avarice, which cleaves to the mind of man like rust: animos aerugo et cura peculi Cum semel imbuerit, Hor. A. P. 330.