mos, mōris, m. [etym. dub.; perh. root ma-, measure; cf.: maturus, matutinus; prop., a measuring or guiding rule of life; hence], manner, custom, way, usage, practice, fashion, wont, as determined not by the laws, but by men's will and pleasure, humor, self-will, caprice (class.; cf.: consuetudo, usus).
I Lit.: opsequens oboediensque'st mori atque imperiis patris, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 54: huncine erat aequum ex illius more, an illum ex hujus vivere? Ter. Heaut. 198: alieno more vivendum est mihi, according to the will or humor of another , id. And. 152: nonne fuit levius dominae pervincere mores, Prop. 1, 17, 15: morem alicui gerere, to do the will of a person, to humor, gratify, obey him : sic decet morem geras, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 35; Cic. Tusc. 1, 9, 17: animo morem gessero, Ter. And. 641: adulescenti morem gestum oportuit, id. Ad. 214; v. gero.—
II The will as a rule for action, custom, usage, practice, wont, habit : leges mori serviunt, usage, custom , Plaut. Trin. 4, 3, 36: legi morique parendum est, Cic. Univ. 11: ibam forte Viā Sacrā, sicut meus est mos, custom, wont , Hor. S. 1, 9, 1: contra morem consuetudinemque civilem, Cic. Off. 1, 41, 148: quae vero more agentur institutisque civilibus, according to usage, according to custom , id. ib.: mos est hominum, ut nolint eundem pluribus rebus excellere, id. Brut. 21, 84: ut mos est, Juv. 6, 392; moris erat quondam servare, etc., id. 11, 83: more sinistro, by a perverted custom , id. 2, 87.— So with ut : morem traditum a patribus, ut, etc., Liv. 27, 11, 10: hunc morem servare, ut, etc., id. 32, 34, 5: virginibus Tyriis mos est gestare pharetram, it is the custom, they are accustomed , Verg. A. 1, 336: qui istic mos est? Ter. Heaut. 562: mos ita rogandi, Cic. Fam. 12, 17, 1: ut mos fuit Bithyniae regibus, id. Verr. 2, 5, 11, § 27: moris est, it is the custom : negavit, moris esse Graecorum, ut, etc., id. ib. 2, 1, 26, § 66; Vell. 2, 37, 5: quae moris Graecorum non sint, Liv. 36, 28, 4; cf.: (aliquid) satis ex more Graecorum factum, id. 36, 28, 5: ut Domitiano moris erat, Tac. Agr. 39.— Plur. : id quoque morum Tiberii erat, Tac. A. 1, 80: praeter civium morem, contrary to custom, to usage , Ter. And. 880: sine more, unwonted, unparalleled : facinus sine more, Stat. Th. 1, 238; so, nullo more, id. ib. 7, 135: supra morem: terra supra morem densa, unusually , Verg. G. 2, 227 (cf.: supra modum): perducere aliquid in morem, to make into a custom, make customary , Cic. Inv. 2, 54, 162: quod jam in morem venerat, ut, etc., had become customary , Liv. 42, 21, 7.—
B In partic., in a moral point of view, conduct, behavior; in plur., manners, morals, character; in a good or bad sense: est ita temperatis moderatisque moribus, ut summa severitas summā cum humanitate jungatur, manners , Cic. Fam. 12, 27, 1: suavissimi mores, id. Att. 16, 16, A, 6: boni, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 254, 8.—Prov.: corrumpunt mores bonos colloquia mala, Vulg. 1 Cor. 15, 33: justi, Cic. de Or. 2, 43, 184: severi et pudici, Plin. 28, 8, 27, § 106: sanctissimi, Plin. Ep. 10, 20, 3: feri immanisque natura, Cic. Rosc. Am. 13, 38: totam vitam, naturam moresque alicujus cognoscere, character , id. ib. 38, 109: eos esse M'. Curii mores, eamque probitatem, ut, etc., id. Fam. 13, 17, 3; id. de Or. 2, 43, 182: mores disciplinamque alicujus imitari, id. Deiot. 10, 28: perditi, id. Fam. 2, 5, 2: praefectura morum, the supervision of the public morals , Suet. Caes. 76: moribus et caelum patuit, to good morals, virtue , Prop. 4 (5), 11, 101: amator meretricis mores sibi emit auro et purpurā, polite behavior, complaisance , Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 128: propitiis, si per mores nostros liceret, diis, i. e. our evil way of life , Tac. H. 3, 72: morum quoque filius, like his father in character , Juv. 14, 52: ne te ignarum fuisse dicas meorum morum, leno ego sum, i. e. my trade , Ter. Ad. 160: in publicis moribus, Suet. Tib. 33; 42.—
III Transf.
A Quality, nature, manner; mode, fashion : haec meretrix fecit, ut mos est meretricius, Plaut. Men. 5, 4, 8: mores siderum, qualities, properties , Plin. 18, 24, 56, § 206: caeli, Verg. G. 1, 51: Carneadeo more et modo disputare, manner , Cic. Univ. 1: si humano modo, si usitato more peccāsset, in the usual manner , id. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 9: Graeco more bibere, id. ib. 1, 26, 66: apis Matinae More modoque, after the manner of, like , Hor. C. 4, 2, 27: Dardanius torrentis aquae vel turbinis atri More furens, Verg. A. 10, 604: more novalium, Col. 3, 13, 4: caeli et anni mores, Col. 1, Praef. 23: omnium more, Cic. Fam. 12, 17, 3; so, ad morem actionum, Quint. 4, 1, 43: elabitur anguis in morem fluminis, like , Verg. G. 1, 245: in hunc operis morem, Hor. S. 2, 1, 63: pecudum in morem, Flor. 3, 8, 6: morem vestis tenere, mode, fashion , Just. 1, 2, 3.—
B A precept, law, rule (poet. and postAug.): moresque viris et moenia ponet, precepts, laws , Verg. A. 1, 264; cf.: pacis inponere morem, id. ib. 6, 852: quod moribus eorum interdici non poterat, Nep. Ham. 3: quid ferri duritiā pugnacius? sed cedit, et patitur mores, submits to laws, obeys, is tamed , Plin. 36, 16, 25, § 127: ut leo mores Accepit, Stat. Ach. 2, 183: in morem tonsa coma, = ex more ludi, Verg. A. 5, 556.