LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neuterthird declension

dēdecus

dēdecus n (genitive dēdecoris)
Classical[ˈdeː.dɛ.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈdɛː.de.kus]

Meaning

  1. disgrace, dishonor, infamy, shame, discredit.
    Tum nostrī cohortātī inter sē, nē tantum dēdecus admitterētur, ūniversī ex nāvī dēsiluērunt. Then our men, having urged amongst themselves that no such awful dishonor should be incurred, leapt from the ship all together. (This passage illustrates the Roman concept of collective honor: the dēdecus, or disgrace, of losing the legionary eagle to the enemy.)c. 52 BCE, Julius Caesar, Commentarii de bello Gallico 4.25
  2. That which causes shame; a disgrace, blot, blemish.
  3. A shameful act; vice, turpitude.
  4. indecency

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

rēs turpis, quae pudōrem fert
dēdecus -oris (n) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 22
turpitūdō, ignōminia
dēdecus -oris (n) — in Aeneis, ch. 23

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Ignominia · Infamia · Dedecus · Probrum · Opprobrium

1. Ignominia deprives one of political honor, which is independent of the reports circulated concerning a man, and is the consequence of an official denunciation, the justice of which is supposed; that of the censor, for example, like ἀτιμία; whereas infamia deprives one of moral honor, of one’s good name, has a reference to public scorn, and is the consequence of shameless and dishonorable conduct, like δυσφημία. 2. Ignominia and infamia are abstract, and denote subjective states; dedecus and probrum are concrete, and denote, objectively, disgrace itself; dedecus is a deviation from the conduct that becomes a man of honor, from whom noble actions are expected; probrum is a stain on the morality of a man, from whom, at least, irreproachable conduct is expected. Dedecus is incurred generally in our public relations, by abjectness of spirit, etc.; probrum, in our private relations, by licentiousness, etc. 3. Probrum (from προφέρω is reproach, as far as it can justly be made; opprobrium, reproach, as far as it actually is made. In probrum the disgrace itself is more considered; in opprobrium, the open proclamation of it.

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativedēdecus
deidecus
dēdecora
deidecora, deidecorēs
genitivedēdecoris
deidecoris
dēdecorum
deidecorum
dativedēdecorī
deidecorī
dēdecoribus
deidecoribus
accusativedēdecus
deidecorem, deidecus
dēdecora
deidecora, deidecorēs
ablativedēdecore
deidecore
dēdecoribus
deidecoribus
vocativedēdecus
deidecus
dēdecora
deidecora, deidecorēs

dē-dĕcus, ŏris, n.,
I. disgrace, dishonor, infamy, shame (for syn. cf.: offensio, contumelia, infamia, ignominia, turpitudo, obscoenitas, injuria—freq. and class.).
I. In gen.: eos dolores atque carnificinas per dedecus atque maximam contumeliam te facere ausum esse? Cato ap. Gell. 10, 3, 17; so with ignominia, Cic. Div. 2, 9; with infamia, id. Cluent. 22, 61; cf. id. Cat. 1, 6; with flagitium, id. Mur. 5, 12; with probrum, id. Rosc. Am. 24, 68: vitam per dedecus amittere, Sall. C. 20, 9: in dedecora incurrunt, Cic. Fin. 1, 14, 47; cf. with damnum, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 39: magnum fuit generi vestro, Cic. Brut. 34, 130: dedecori est, Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 93: dedecori esse (alicui), Cic. Off. 1, 33 fin.; id. Att. 8, 11 et saep.; cf. also: aliter ampla domus dedecori domino fit, id. Off. 1, 39, 139.—
B. Concr. (as sometimes our word shame), that which causes shame; a disgrace, blot, blemish: cum nec prodere visum dedecus auderet (viz., the ass's ears of Midas), Ov. M. 11, 184; cf.: naturae dedecus, a monster, said of the ass, Phaedr. 1, 21, 11; cf. Petr. 74, 9; Vulg. Sir. 3, 13. —
II. (Acc. to decus, no. II.) Like τὸ κακόν, moral dishonor, vice, turpitude; a vicious action, shameful deed, etc. (very freq.): decus, quod antiqui summum bonum esse dixerant ... itemque dedecus illi summum malum, Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 55; cf. id. Tusc. 2, 5, 14; id. Fin. 3, 11, 38: dedecus admittere, Caes. B. G. 4, 25, 5; id. B. C. 3, 64 fin.; Cic. Verr. 1, 17, 51; id. Fam. 3, 10, 2 al.: ad avertendos tantorum dedecorum rumores, Suet. Calig. 48 et saep.; of unchastity, Ov. M. 2, 473; 9, 26; Suet. Aug. 68: dedecorum pretiosus emptor, Hor. Od. 3, 6, 32: abdicamus occulta dedecoris, Vulg. 2 Cor. 4, 2.

Origins

From dē (“from, away or down from”) + decus (“glory, honor, dignity”).

Quick answers

What does dēdecus mean in Latin?
dēdecus, a noun, means “disgrace, dishonor, infamy, shame, discredit.; That which causes shame; a disgrace, blot, blemish.”.
What is the genitive of dēdecus?
The genitive singular is dēdecoris. dēdecus is neuter, third declension.
How do you pronounce dēdecus?
In classical Latin, [ˈdeː.dɛ.kʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈdɛː.de.kus].