What is the Latin word for flirt?

The usual Latin words for “flirt” are iaceō, iaculor, concursō; also malus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“flirt” in Latin

iaceōto lie prostrate, lie down; recline; to be sick, lie ill; to linger, stop, tarry, remain iaculorto throw or hurl; to throw or fight with a javelin concursōto clash (rush together); to rove malusunpleasant, distressing, painful, nasty, bad; unpleasant to the senses, sight, smell, taste, touch; bad, evil, wicked, m

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

flirt v.

TRANS., jacere: jaculari; anything at anybody, (manu) jacere aliquid in aliquem; petere aliquem aliqua re (e.g., malo, Verg.); jaculari aliquem aliqua re.

INTRANS., To jeer, Vid:

To run about, circumcursare hac illac: discursare: concursare hue et illuc (hither and thither): volitare aliquo loco (to flutter about, PROP., of birds; then also of persons; e.g., tota urbe).

To endeavor to attract young men, etc., oculis venari viros (to be always looking out for men): dare operam, ut placeat viris (after Plaut., Poen., 5, 4, 47): improbe juvenes circumspectare (after Apul., Apol., p. 323, 10): *garrulitate sua se juvenibus amabilem praebere (☞ Suet., Oct. 83). (Of a male flirt), blande mulienbus palpari (Plaut., Amph., 1, 3, 9); levitatibus amatoriis deditum esse; also, perhaps, amare only (Vid: Sall., Cat., 11, 6).

flirt

Sudden jerk; Vid: JERK.

A coquettish female, mulier placendi studiosa (Ov., A.A., 3, 423): quae dat operam, ut placeat viris (after Plaut., Poen., 5, 4, 47): improba juvenum circumspectatrix (of a desperate, immodest flirt). Sometimes, puella garrulitate amabills (Suet., Oct., 83): desultor amoris (of a man, who does not attach himself deeply and permanently to one, Ov., Am., 1, 3, 15).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for flirt?: The usual Latin words for “flirt” are iaceō, iaculor, concursō; also malus. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.