noun · neutersecond declension
sacrum
sacrum n (genitive sacrī)
Classical[ˈsa.krũː]Ecclesiastical[ˈsaː.krum]
Meaning
- neuterA holy or sacred object, e.g. statue, image, emblem, vessel, utensil.
‘Sacra suōsque tibī commendat Troia penātēs.’
[Aeneas dreams that Hector tells him:] “‘Troy entrusts to you her sacred objects and household gods.’”29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 2.293 - neuterA holy or sacred place, e.g. sanctuary, shrine, temple.
- neuterA religious act or observance, e.g. a sacrifice, festival, rite.
Tū modo posce deōs veniam, sacrīsque litātīs, [...].
“You have only to ask the gods for their pardon, and after you have propitiated them with sacrifices, ….” (In other words, Anna assumes that these sacrificial rites will earn Dido a favorable divine response.)29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 4.50 - neuterDivine worship or religion.
quo foedere et Sabinos in civitatem adscivit sacris conmunicatis et regnum suum cum illorum rege sociavit
By this compact he admitted the Sabines into the city, gave them a participation in the religious ceremonies, and divided his power with their king.c. 54-51 B.C.E., Cicero, De re publica, 2.7.13 - neuterThe private religious rites of a family.
sacra privata perpetua manento
Let private devotions be perpetually practised.c. 51 B.C.E., Cicero, De Legibus, 2.9.22 - neuterpluralPoems (as sacred to the muse).
at mihi iam puero caelestia sacra placebant inque suum furtim Musa trahebat opus
But even as a boy the heavenly poems delighted me, and the Muse was drawing me secretly to her work.c. 8-18 AD, Ovid, Tristia, 4.10.19 - neuterpluralpost AugustanSecrets, mysteries.
sacra tori coitusque novos thalamosque recentes primaque deserti referebam foedera lecti I told Aurora of our wedding secrets and all refreshing mysteries of coition – and my first union on my now-deserted couch.
8 AD, Ovid, Metamorphoses, 7.709
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | sacrum | sacra |
| genitive | sacrī | sacrōrum |
| dative | sacrō | sacrīs |
| accusative | sacrum | sacra |
| ablative | sacrō | sacrīs |
| vocative | sacrum | sacra |
sacrum, i, v. sacer.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
sacrum ī, n
sacer, something consecrated, a holy thing, sacred vessel, sacred utensil, holy place, sanctuary, temple : sacrum qui clepsit rapsitque: metuens velut contingere sacrum, H.: arma conici in acervum iussit sacrumque id Volcano cremavit, L.: pyrā sacri sub imagine factā, O.: sacra ex aedibus suis eripuisse, sacred vessels : Iunonis sacra ferre, H.: cumque suis penetralia sacris, i. e. the Penates , O.— A sacred act, religious rite, act of worship, sacrifice, religious service : Graecum illud sacrum monstrare: neve initianto Graeco sacro, according to the Grecian rites : Cereris sacrum Volgare arcanae, H.: pueri Sacra canunt, sacred songs , V.: sacris pontifices quinque praefecit: sacra diis aliis Albano ritu facit, L.: Orphica, festival : Bacchica, O.: Arcana sacra, H.—Plur, divine worship, religion : Sabinos in civitatem ascivit, sacris communicatis: religio sacrorum.— Private religious rites, gentile rites, family worship (peculiar to a gens or family, and preserved by tradition): sacra privata perpetua manento: gentilicia, L.: amissis sacris paternis: iugalia, marriage solemnities , O.— A secret, mystery : mihi iam puero caelestia sacra placebant, poetic inspiration , O.: Sacra tori, O.
Origins
From sacer (“sacred, holy”).