LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neuterthird declension

pecus1

pecus n (genitive pecoris)
Classical[ˈpɛ.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpɛː.kus]
№ 566 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neuterA group of large domestic animals: a herd of cattle, horses, or donkeys; such animals in a collective sense: cattle and equines.
    1st century bc, M. Terentius Varro, Rerum Rusticarum, Book II, Ch. 1, §12...there is a knowledge of tending and feeding livestock so that the greatest profit is siezed from it... It has nine parts, three divisions of three items each, such that one is about the lesser domestic animals whose three species are the sheep, goat, and pig and another about the greater livestock, in which there are likewise three kinds divided by their nature: cows, donkeys, and horses. The third part is in animals which are not raised so that profit may be seized from them themselves but because of or from the other groups above. They are mules, dogs, and shepherds.
    1st century bc, G. Iulius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico, Book. VI, Ch. viCaesar... enters their country in three divisions, burns their houses and villages, and gets possession of a large number of animals and men.
  2. figurativelyneuterAny other group of animals, imagined as a herd or flock; such animals collectively: beasts.
    1st century, L. Iunius Moderatus Columella, De Re Rustica, Book VIII, Ch. iv...volatile pecus... ...flying herd [i.e., birds]...
    1st century, L. Iunius Moderatus Columella, De Re Rustica, Book VIII, Ch. xvii, Sect. 7With our 'stables' arranged on this principle, we will lead in our watery 'herd' [i.e., fish]...
  3. derogatoryneuterA mindless group of people: "cattle", "sheep", rabble, the mob.
  4. Late LatinneuterAny individual animal, conceived as a member or usual member of a flock or herd.

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

omnia animālia agrī: ovēs, bovēs, caprae.
pecus -oris n — in Mille Verba, Rūs et Agrīcultūra

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Pecus · Jumentum · Armentum · Grex

1. Pecus, pecoris, is the most general expression for domestic beasts; jumenta and armenta denote the larger sort, bullocks, asses, horses; pecus, pecudis (from the Goth. faihu) the smaller sort, swine, goats, and especially sheep. 2. Jumenta denotes beasts used in drawing carriages, bullocks, asses, horses; armenta (ἀρόματα) beasts used in ploughing, oxen and horses, with the exclusion of cows, pack-asses, riding-horses, etc., which are neither fit for drawing carriages, nor for the plough. 3. As a singular and collective noun, armentum denotes a herd or drove of the larger cattle, like ἀγέλη; grex (from ἀγείρω) a herd or flock of the smaller animals, like ποίμνη, πῶϋ. Plin. Ep. ii. 16. Multi greges ovium, multa ibi equorum boumque armenta (iv. 298.)

Animal · Animans · Bellua · Bestia · Pecus · Fera

1. Animal and animans are the animal as a living being, including man; animal, with reference to his nature, according to which he belongs to the class of living animals, in opp. to inanimus, like ζῶον; animans, with reference to his state, as still living and breathing,1 in opp. to exanimus; bellua, bestia, and pecus, as irrational beings, in opp. to man, and bellua and pecus, with intellectual reference, as devoid of reason, in peculiar opp. to homo, Cic. N. D. ii. 11; bestia and fera, with moral reference, as wild, and hostile to man. 2. Bellua (from βλάξ) denotes, particularly, a great unwieldy animal, as the elephant, whale, principally sea-monsters; pecus, a domestic animal, particularly of the more stupid kinds, as a bullock, sheep, in opp. to the wild; bestia, a destructive animal, particularly those that are ravenous, as the tiger, wolf, etc., in opp. to birds, Justin, ii. 14, like θηρίον; fera (φῆρες), a wild animal of the wood, as the stag, wolf, tiger, in opp. to domestic animals. Curt. ix. 10. Indi maritimi ferarum pellibus tecti piscibus sole duratis, et majorum quoque belluarum, quos fluctus ejecit, carne vescuntur. And Tac. G. 17. (iv. 291.)

1 Hence animalium cadavera, not animantium.

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepecuspecora
pecudēs
genitivepecoris
pecudis		pecorum
pecudum
dativepecorī
pecudī		pecoribus
pecudibus
accusativepecus
pecudem		pecora
pecudēs
ablativepecore
pecude		pecoribus
pecudibus
vocativepecuspecora
pecudēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

pecorum modo fugere (Liv. 40. 27)
to flee like deer, sheep.

pĕcus, pecŏris, n. Zend, pacu, cattle; cf. Goth. faihu; Angl.-Sax. feó, cattle; Germ. Vieh; Engl. fee. Fick refers the word to root pag- of pango, etc.,
I. cattle, as a collective, a herd (opp.: pecus, pecudis, a single head of cattle).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: bubulum pecus, horned cattle, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 13; Col. 6, 13, 2: ovile, sheep, id. 1 prooem.: caprile, id. ib.: pecus majus et minus ... de pecore majore, in quo sunt ad tres species naturā discreti, boves, asini, equi, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 12: equinum, a stud, Verg. G. 3, 72: setigerum pecus, the bristly herd, i. e. the herd of swine, Ov. M. 14, 288: flammatum pecus, the thirsty steeds, Stat. Th. 4, 733: volatile pecus, fowls, hens, Col. 8, 4: ignavum fucos pecus a praesepibus arcent, i. e. the drones, Verg. G. 4, 168.—So of bees, Col. 9, 8, 6.—Of seals: omne cum Proteus pecus egit altos Visere montes, Hor. C. 1, 2, 7; cf. of fish: aquatile, Col. 8, 17, 7.—
B. In partic, of sheep, small cattle, a flock: pecori et bubus diligenter substernatur. Scabiem pecori et jumentis caveto (shortly after: frondem substernito ovibus bubusque), Cato, R. R. 5, 7: boni pastoris est pecus tondere non deglubere, Tiber. ap. Suet. Tib. 32: balatus pecorum, Verg. G. 3, 554; Plin. 8, 47, 72, § 187.—
II. Transf.
A. Of a single animal: inque pecus magnae subito vertare parentis = pecudem, the young lion, Ov. Ib. 459; Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 6, 7, 9.—In late and eccl. lat. the distinction between pecus, f., and pecus, n., nearly disappears, and the latter is found in all senses of the words; cf. Vulg. Lev. 20, 15; id. 2 Par. 14, 15; id. Isa. 66, 3.—
B. Contemptuously, or as a term of abuse, of persons, cattle: mutum et turpe pecus, Hor. S. 1, 3, 100: o imitatores, servum pecus, id. Ep. 1, 19, 19: simul ite, Dindymenae dominae vaga pecora, Cat. 63, 13: sed venale pecus Corythae posteritas, Juv. 8, 62.
pĕcus, ūs, m., i. q. 1. pecus, Lucil. ap. Gell. 20, 8, 4.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*péḱ-os
  2. Proto-Italic*pekos
  3. Latinpecus

Inherited from Proto-Italic *pekos, from Proto-Indo-European *péḱ-os (“livestock”). Related to pecū, from Proto-Indo-European *peḱu- (“livestock, domestic animals”). Cognates include Sanskrit पशु (páśu, “cattle”), Old Armenian ասր (asr, “fleece”), Old Saxon fehu, Old English feoh, Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 (faihu), Old Norse fé, Swedish fä and Lithuanian pēkus (“cattle”). The origin of the suffixal -d- in pecus ~ pecudis is unknown.

Italo-Dalmatian
  • Italianpecora
  • Frenchpécorefrom Italian pecora
  • Portuguesepécorafrom Italian pecora
  • Spanishpécorafrom Italian pecora
  • Galluresepécurafrom Corsican pecura
  • Galluresepégurafrom Corsican pecura
  • Sassaresepéggurafrom Corsican pecura
  • Sicilianpècura
  • Venetanpiègora
  • Venetanpégora
Balkano-Romance
  • Romanianpăcure
Rhaeto-Romance
  • Friulianpiore
Gallo-Italic
  • Emilianpîgra
  • Ligurianpegoa
  • Ligurianpegora
  • Ligurianpiégoa
  • Lombardpévra
  • Lombardpéura
  • Lombardpégora
  • Piedmontesepévrafrom Old Piedmontese piévra
  • Romagnolpégura
  • Romagnolpìgura
Borrowings
  • TranslingualPecora
noun · femininethird declension
pecus2
pecus f (genitive pecudis)
Classical[ˈpɛ.kʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈpɛː.kus]
№ 566 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. feminineA single herd animal, especially a head of cattle, a horse.
  2. feminineA single animal, a beast, especially smaller livestock or livestock taken generally.
    1st century bc, M. Terentius Varro, Rerum Rusticarum, Book II, Ch. 1, §12...there is a knowledge of tending and feeding livestock so that the greatest profit is siezed from it... It has nine parts, three divisions of three items each, such that one is about the lesser domestic animals whose three species are the sheep, goat, and pig and another about the greater livestock, in which there are likewise three kinds divided by their nature: cows, donkeys, and horses. The third part is in animals which are not raised so that profit may be seized from them themselves but because of or from the other groups above. They are mules, dogs, and shepherds.
    29 bc. Vergil. Georgics, III omne adeo genvs in terris hominvmqve ferarvmqve et genvs æqvorevm pecvdes pictæqve volvcres in fvrias ignemqve rvvnt So far does every species on earth of man and beast, whether the aquatic species, livestock, or painted-winged, collapse into the frenzies and the fire [of sex].
  3. derogatoryfeminineA mindless or violent person: a brute, an animal.

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativepecuspecudēs
pecora
genitivepecudis
pecoris		pecudum
pecorum
dativepecudī
pecorī		pecudibus
pecoribus
accusativepecudempecudēs
pecora
ablativepecude
pecore		pecudibus
pecoribus
vocativepecuspecudēs
pecora

pĕcus, ŭdis (
I. masc.: pecudi marito, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 659 P. or Trag. v. 336 Vahl.—Nom. sing., Caesar ap. Prisc. p. 719; cf. Charis. p. 72.—Plur. collat. form, neutr., pecuda, Att., Sisenn., and Cic. ap. Non. 159, 11; v. infra), f. same root with pecu and pecus, ŏris, a single head of cattle, a beast, brute, animal, one of a herd (opp.: pecus, pecŏris, cattle collectively; different from animal, which includes man).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: Neptuni pecudes terrestres pecudes, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 45: squammigerum pecudes, the fishes, Lucr. 2, 343: genus aequoreum, pecudes pictaeque volucres, land animals, Verg. G. 3, 243: genera pecudum ferarum, Varr. R. R. 2, 1: anates buxeis rostris pecudes, Varr. ap. Non. 460, 9: quā pecude (sc. sue) nihil genuit natura fecundius, Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 160: quantum natura hominis pecudibus reliquisque bestiis antecedat, domestic animals, id. Off. 1, 30, 105: ista non modo homines, sed ne pecudes quidem mihi passurae esse videntur, id. Cat. 2, 9, 20; id. Att. 1, 16, 6.—Plur. neutr. pecuda: vagant, pavore pecuda in tumulis deserunt, Att. ap. Non. 159, 11; Sisenn. ap. Non. 159, 17: cum adhibent in pecuda pastores, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 159, 13.—
B. In partic.
1. A head of small cattle, one of a flock: at variae crescunt pecudes armenta feraeque, Lucr. 5, 228.—
2. A sheep: haedi cornigeras norunt matres, agnique petulci balantum pecudes, Lucr. 2, 369; Ov. F. 4, 903: pecudem spondere sacello Balantem, Juv. 13, 232: pecus et caprae, Plin. 24, 11, 53, § 90.—
3. Collectively, = 1. pecus, id genus pecudis, horses, Col. 6, 27, 13.—
II. Transf., as a term of reproach for an ignorant, stupid, or filthy person, a beast, brute: istius, pecudis ac putidae carnis consilium, Cic. Pis. 9, 19: istius impurissimae atque intemperantissimae pecudis sordes, id. ib. 29, 72; id. Phil. 8, 3, 9; cf.: Gaius Caesar pecudem auream eum appellare solitus est, Tac. A. 13, 1.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*péḱ-os
  2. Proto-Italic*pekos
  3. Latinpecus

Inherited from Proto-Italic *pekos, from Proto-Indo-European *péḱ-os (“livestock”). Related to pecū, from Proto-Indo-European *peḱu- (“livestock, domestic animals”). Cognates include Sanskrit पशु (páśu, “cattle”), Old Armenian ասր (asr, “fleece”), Old Saxon fehu, Old English feoh, Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 (faihu), Old Norse fé, Swedish fä and Lithuanian pēkus (“cattle”). The origin of the suffixal -d- in pecus ~ pecudis is unknown.

Insular Romance
  • Sardinianpegus
  • Sardinianpecus
Gallo-Romance: (adjectives)
  • Catalanpec
  • Occitanpècfrom Old Occitan pec
Italo-Romance
  • Italianpeco

Quick answers

What does pecus mean in Latin?
pecus, a noun, means “A group of large domestic animals: a herd of cattle, horses, or donkeys; such animals in a collective sense: cattle and equines.; Any other group of animals, imagined as a herd or flock”.
What is the genitive of pecus?
The genitive singular is pecoris. pecus is neuter, third declension.
How do you pronounce pecus?
In classical Latin, [ˈpɛ.kʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈpɛː.kus].
Where does pecus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *péḱ-os → Proto-Italic *pekos → Latin pecus.