To bite. Momordi. Ouid. Morsi aliquando fecit in præterito. Plaut. Latrant & mordent canes. Cic. Mordere humum. Plaut. To guaw the ground. Frænum mordere, Vide FRAENVM. Mordere heiba dicitur sapore acri. Pli. To haue a biting cast. Æstus momordit oleam. Horat. The heate hath parched the oliue. Amnis mordet rura aqua. Hor. Mordere, per translationem. Ter. To backbite: to detract: to speake ill of: to rebuke sharply: to griene. Mordere clanculum. Ter. To speake ill behind ones backe. Iniquo dente mordere. Ouid. To siaunder and backebite. Dente inuido mordeor. Hor. I am maliciously siaundered. Morderi dictis. Ouid. Opprobrijs falsis morderi. Horat. Si qua sunt in ruis literis quæ me mordeant. Cic. If there be any thing in your letters that nippe or taunt mee: or that may grieue me. Valde me momorderÛt epistolæ tuæ. Thy letters did much grieue me, or pinch me at the stomacke. Si pauperras momordit, si ignominia pupugit. Cic. Frigora mordent patum cautos. Horat. Morderi conscientia. Cicer. To haue a pricke and remorse of conscience. Morsus. Participium. Plin. Bitten: gnawne.

A bitte with the teeth: a taunt or rebuke: slaunder: griese: paine: pinching by the stomacke. The buckling of harnesse. Viperinus morsus. Cic. Funesto morsu saucius. Ouid. Apprehendere morsu. Plin. To take in the teeth. Fero consumite viscera morsu. Ouid. Corripere morsu. Plin. To take in his month aud bite. A pecoris morsu frondes defendite nostras. Ouid. From the brousing of eattasse. Ncc tu mensarum morsus horresce. Virg. Inferre morsus alicui. Ouid. To bite. Lacerare morsu viscera. Cic. To teare with the teeth. Leo parat morsus. Sen. Premere morsu. Lucret. Citra morsum. Plin. Bibere morsu, Vide BIBO. Vnei morsus anchoræ. Lucan. Anchores that haue crookes to fasten in the ground. Ex mulierum morsu vestigia libidinis atque nequitiæ. Cic. Dolor corporis, cuius est morsus acerrimus, perferetur, spe proposita boni. Cicer. A the of the body, the payne whereof is most grienous, will be suffeted, &c. Morsus & contractiunculæ animi relinquentur. Cicer. Remorse and griefe of conscience shall be left. Sopitus necis morsus. Sil. The sence of death dulled with much drinking. Morsus, pro inuidia & detractione: vt, Insequi morsibus aliquem. Ouid. To backebite and tayle at. Aeres incitare morsus. Catul. Venenare morsu. Hora.

I. Lit.: si me canis memorderit, Enn. ap. Gell. 7, 9, 3 (Sat. v. 36 Vahl.): canes mordere possunt, Cic. Rosc. Am. 20, 57: mordens pulex, biting, Mart. 14, 83: (serpens) fixum hastile momordit, bit into, Ov. M. 3, 68: mordeat ante aliquis quidquid, etc., taste, Juv. 6, 632: terram, to bite the ground, bite the dust, of expiring warriors writhing on the ground: procubuit moriens et humum semel ore momordit, Verg. A. 11, 418; Ov. M. 9, 61.—Part. as subst.: morsi a rabioso cane, Plin. 29, 5, 32, 100: laneaque aridulis haerebant morsa labellis, Cat. 64, 316.—

2. In partic., to eat, devour, consume (poet.): tunicatum cum sale mordens Caepe, Pers. 4, 30: ostrea, Juv. 6, 305: sordes farris mordere canini, id. 5, 11.—

B. Transf.

1. To bite into, take fast hold of, catch fast; to press or cut into (poet.): laterum juncturas fibula mordet, takes hold of, clasps, Verg. A. 12, 274: mordebat fibula vestem, Ov. M. 8, 318: id quod a lino mordetur, where the thread presses in, Cels. 7, 4, 4: locus (corporis), qui mucronem (teli) momordit, id. 7, 5, 4: arbor mordet humum, takes hold of the ground, is rooted in the ground, Stat. Th. 9, 499.—Hence, poet., of a river: non rura quae Liris quieta Mordet aqua, cuts or penetrates into, Hor. C. 1, 31, 7.—

2. To nip, bite, sting: matutina parum cautos jam frigora mordent, nips, attacks, Hor. S. 2, 6, 45: oleamque momorderit aestus, id. Ep. 1, 8, 5: mordeat et tenerum fortior aura nemus, Mart. 8, 14, 2: radix gustu acri mordet, bites, hurts, Plin. 27, 13, 109, 133: linguam, id. 29, 2, 9, 34: oculos, id. 21, 6, 17, 32: urtica foliis non mordentibus, stinging, burning, id. 22, 14, 16, 37.—

II. Trop., to bite, sting, pain, hurt (syn.: pungo, stimulo, remordeo; class.): invidere omnes mihi, Mordere clanculum, bit, stung, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 21: morderi dictis, Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 25: jocus mordens, a biting jest, Juv. 9, 10: mordear opprobriis falsis, shall I be stung, vexed, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 38: par pari referto, quod eam mordeat, to vex, mortify, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 55: valde me momorderunt epistolae tuae, Cic. Att. 13, 12, 1: scribis, morderi te interdum, quod non simul sis, that it grieves you, affects you, id. ib. 6, 2, 8: dolore occulto morderi, to be attacked, tormented, Ov. M. 2, 806: nec qui detrectat praesentia, Livor iniquo Ullum de nostris dente momordit opus, detracted, id. Tr. 4, 10, 124; cf. id. P. 4, 14, 46: morderi conscientiā, to feel the sting of conscience, Cic. Tusc. 4, 20, 45: hunc mordebit objurgatio, Quint. 1, 3, 7.—

B. To seize fast, hold firmly in the mind (cf. mordicus, II.): hoc tene, hoc morde, Sen. Ep. 78, 29. —

C. To squander, dissipate: de integro patrimonio meo centum milia nummūm memordi, Laber. ap. Gell. 6, 9, 3 (Com. Rel. v. 50 Rib.).