LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

meretrīcius

meretrīcius (feminine meretrīcia, neuter meretrīcium)
Classical[mɛ.rɛˈtriː.ki.ʊs]Ecclesiastical[me.reˈtriː.t͡ʃi.us]
meretrīcie sg. voc. m.

Meaning

  1. adjectivemeretricious: Of or related to prostitutes and prostitution.
    1719, William Musgrave, Antiquitates Britanno-Belgicae..., Vol. I, Cap. XII, § IThe first [statue] displays Venus... Received into Heaven, she presided over all things related to Whoring...

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemeretrīciusmeretrīciameretrīcium
genitivemeretrīciīmeretrīciaemeretrīciī
dativemeretrīciōmeretrīciaemeretrīciō
accusativemeretrīciummeretrīciammeretrīcium
ablativemeretrīciōmeretrīciāmeretrīciō
vocativemeretrīciemeretrīciameretrīcium
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemeretrīciīmeretrīciaemeretrīcia
genitivemeretrīciōrummeretrīciārummeretrīciōrum
dativemeretrīciīsmeretrīciīsmeretrīciīs
accusativemeretrīciōsmeretrīciāsmeretrīcia
ablativemeretrīciīsmeretrīciīsmeretrīciīs
vocativemeretrīciīmeretrīciaemeretrīcia

mĕrē^trīcĭus, a, um, adj. meretrix,
I. of or pertaining to harlots or prostitutes, meretricious.
I. Adj. (class.): meretricia ornamenta, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 63: quaestus, Cic. Phil. 2, 18, 44: disciplina, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 3, § 6: domus, a courtesan's house, Ter. Eun. 5, 5, 18: amores, Cic. Cael. 20, 48.—
II. Subst.: mĕrē^trīcĭum, ii, n.
1. The art of a courtesan: inmutari blandimentis, hortamentis, ceteris meretriciis, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 63.—
2. The trade of a harlot: meretricium facere, Suet. Calig. 40.—Hence, adv.: mĕrē^trīcĭē, after the manner of harlots, meretriciously (ante-class.): digne ornata, haud meretricie, Plaut. Mil. 3, 2, 58.

Origins

From meretrīx (“female earner, prostitute”) + -ius (“-ious: forming adjectives”).

Descendants
  • Catalanmeretrici
  • Englishmeretricious
  • Italianmeretricio
  • Portuguesemeretrício
  • Spanishmeretricio

In English words that came into English from meretrīcius

  • meretriciousmeretrīcius

Quick answers

What does meretrīcius mean in Latin?
meretrīcius, a adjective, means “meretricious: Of or related to prostitutes and prostitution.”.
How do you pronounce meretrīcius?
In classical Latin, [mɛ.rɛˈtriː.ki.ʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [me.reˈtriː.t͡ʃi.us].