LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivethird-declension one-termination adjective

mordāx

mordāx (genitive mordācis)
Classical[ˈmɔr.daːks]Ecclesiastical[ˈmɔr.daks]

Meaning

  1. one terminationbiting; snappish; tart
  2. one terminationcutting
  3. one terminationcaustic

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemordāxmordāxmordāx
genitivemordācismordācismordācis
dativemordācīmordācīmordācī
accusativemordācemmordācemmordāx
ablativemordācī
mordāce		mordācī
mordāce		mordācī
mordāce
vocativemordāxmordāxmordāx
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativemordācēsmordācēsmordācia
genitivemordāciummordāciummordācium
dativemordācibusmordācibusmordācibus
accusativemordācīs
mordācēs		mordācīs
mordācēs		mordācia
ablativemordācibusmordācibusmordācibus
vocativemordācēsmordācēsmordācia

mordax, ācis, adj. mordeo,
I. biting, given to biting, snappish (poet. and in postAug. prose).
I. Lit.: canis, Plaut. Bacch. 5, 2, 27: equus, Labeo ap. Gell. 4, 2: asinus, App. M. 8, p. 213 init.: Memmius, Auct. ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 59, 240.—Poet.: fibula, Sid. Carm. 5, 18.—
B. Transf., stinging, sharp, biting, pungent: urtica, stinging, Ov. A. A. 2, 417: arista mordacior hordeo, Plin. 18, 7, 10, § 61: mordacissima marga, id. 17, 8, 4, § 45: mordaci icta ferro Pinus, biting, deepcutting, Hor. C. 4, 6, 9: pumex, Ov. A. A. 1, 506: pulvis, corrosive, Plin. 15, 29, 37, § 123: fel, biting, sharp, Ov. P. 3, 3, 106: acetum, sharp, pungent, Pers. 5, 86: sucus, Plin. 25, 8, 50, § 89.—
II. Trop., biting, disposed to bite.
A. Of persons: Cynicus, biting, snarling, Hor. Ep. 1, 17, 18: lividus et mordax, id. S. 1, 4, 93.—
B. Of inanim. and abstr. things: carmen, Ov. Tr. 2, 563: invidia, Phaedr. 5 prol. 8: verum, Pers. 1, 107: sollicitudines, biting, carking, Hor. C. 1, 18, 4: belle interim subicitur pro eo, quod neges, aliud mordacius, a more stinging assertion, Quint. 6, 3, 74.—Hence, adv.: mordācĭter, bitingly (poet. and postclass. prose), Macr. S. 7, 3, 8.—Comp.: neque enim in nobis febris alias partes mordacius impellit, sed per omnia pari aequalitate discurrit, Sen. Q. N. 6, 15, 3: limā mordacius uti, more sharply, Ov. P. 1, 5, 19: scribere, Lact. 5, 2, 12.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)merd-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)mordéyeti
  3. Proto-Italic*mordejō
  4. Proto-Italic*mordeō
  5. Latinmordāx

Latin -āx Latin mordāx From mordeō (“to bite”) + -āx (“inclined to”).

Descendants
  • Catalanmordaç
  • Englishmordacious
  • Frenchmordache
  • Italianmordace
  • Italianmordacchia
  • Portuguesemordaz
  • Portuguesemordaça
  • Spanishmordaz
  • Spanishmordaza
  • Galicianmordaz

In English words that came into English from mordāx

  • mordaciousmordāx
  • mordacitymordācitās

Quick answers

What does mordāx mean in Latin?
mordāx, a adjective, means “biting; snappish; tart”.
How do you pronounce mordāx?
In classical Latin, [ˈmɔr.daːks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈmɔr.daks].
Where does mordāx come from?
Proto-Indo-European *(s)merd- → Proto-Indo-European *(s)mordéyeti → Proto-Italic *mordejō → Proto-Italic *mordeō → Latin mordāx.