inquĭno, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [cunire, acc. to Paul. ex Fest. p. 50 Müll.], to befoul, stain, pollute, defile (syn.: polluo, contamino, conspurco).
I Lit.: vestem, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 17: mentior at si quid, merdis caput inquiner albis Corvorum, Hor. S. 1, 8, 37: ruris opes niteant: inquinet arma situs, Ov. F. 4, 928: (gurgitem) venenis, id. M. 14, 56: segetem injecto lolio, Dig. 9, 2, 27. —
II Trop., to pollute , defile , corrupt , contaminate : saepe unus puer petulans atque impurus inquinat gregem puerorum, Varr. ap. Non. 168, 7: amicitiam nomine criminoso, Cic. Planc. 19, 46: agros turpissimis possessoribus, id. Phil. 2, 17, 43: omnem splendorem honestatis, id. Fin. 5, 8, 22: urbis jura et exempla corrumpere domesticaque immanitate inquinare, id. Deiot. 12, 23: senatum, Liv. 9, 46, 10: famam alterius, id. 29, 37 med. : argumenta puerorum foedis amoribus, Quint. 10, 1, 100; cf. id. 2, 5, 24; 4, 2, 102: se parricidio, Cic. Tusc. 5, 2, 6: se vitiis atque flagitiis, id. ib. 1, 30, 72: nuptias et genus et domos, Hor. C. 3, 6, 18: Juppiter inquinavit aere tempus aureum, id. Epod. 16, 64.
III —Hence, inquĭnātus , a, um, P. a., befouled , polluted.
A Lit.: aqua turbida et cadaveribus inquinata, Cic. Tusc. 5, 34, 97.—
2 Transf., stained , dyed : bis murice vellus inquinatum, Mart. 4, 4, 6.—
B Trop., defiled , impure , filthy , base.
1 In gen.: omnibus flagitiis vita inquinata, Cic. Rosc. Am. 24, 68: nihil hoc homine inquinatius, id. Fl. 22, 53: sordidissima ratio et inquinatissima, id. Off. 2, 6, 21: quis in voluptate inquinatior, id. Cael. 6, 13: comitia largitione inquinata, id. Q. Petit. Cons. fin. : dextra inquinatior, Cat. 33, 3: sermo inquinatissimus, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 26, § 65.—
2 In partic.
a Of speech, low , base : est vitiosum in verbis, si inquinatum, si abjectum, Cic. Opt. Gen. Or. 3, 7: versus inquinatus, insuavissima littera, id. Or. 49, 163. —
b Tinctured , slightly imbued with any thing (cf. A. 2.): litteris satis inquinatus est, Petr. Fragm. Trag. 46 Burm.: non inquinati sumus (istis vitiis), sed infecti, Sen. Ep. 59 med. — Adv.: inquĭnātē , filthily , impurely; loqui, Cic. Brut. 37, 140; 74, 258.