obscēnus (obscaen-, and less properly obscoen-), a, um, adj. [perh. ob and caenum, filth],
I of adverse, unfavorable, evil omen; ill-boding, inauspicious, ominous, portentous (cf.: sinister, funestus): apud antiquos omnes fere obscena dicta sunt, quae mali ominis habebantur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 201 Müll.: obsceni interpres funestique ominis auctor, Matius ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 96 Müll.; Att. ap. Non. 357, 16: deūm rixa vertat verba obscena, Lucil. ib. 357, 17; Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 8, 361 (Ann. v. 182 Vahl.): montem istum (Aventinum) excluserunt, quasi avibus obscenis ominosum (viz., by reason of the birds, which gave unfavorable omens to Remus), Mess. ap. Gell. 13, 14, 6; so, volucres, birds of illomen , i. e. owls , Verg. A. 12, 876: canes, id. G. 1, 470: obscenum ostentum, Suet. Galb. 4: omen, Cic. Dom. 55, 140: puppis, the fatal ship , that bore Helen when she eloped with Paris to Troy, Ov. H. 5, 119; cf.: Troja, Cat. 68, 99: anus, old witches, hags , Hor. Epod. 5, 98.— Sup. : Alliesis dies dicebatur apud Romanos obscenissimi ominis, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. Alliesis, p. 7 Müll.—
II Transf., repulsive, offensive, abominable, hateful, disgusting, filthy .
A In gen. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose; syn.: immundus, turpis): (Allecto) frontem obscenam rugis arat, Verg. A. 7, 417: volucres pelagi, i. e. the harpies , id. ib. 3, 241; 262: upupa, obscena alias pastu avis, Plin. 10, 29, 44, § 86; cf. fames, Verg. A. 3, 367: haustus, of filthy water , Luc. 4, 312: cruor, Verg. A. 4, 455.— As subst.: obscēna , ōrum, n., the excrements , Sen. Ep. 8, 1, 20; also, the urine : qui clam latuit reddente obscena puellā, Ov. R. Am. 437; cf. Mel. 1, 9.—
B In partic., offensive to modesty, i. e. immodest, impure, indecent, lewd, obscene (class.; syn.: spurcus, impurus): delicatae et obscenae voluptates, Cic. N. D. 1, 40, 111: adulterium, Ov. Tr. 2, 212: obscenas tabellas pingere, Prop. 2, 5, 19 (6, 27): carmina, id. 1, 16, 10: gestus motusque, Tac. A. 15, 37: obscenum in modum formata commotaque manus, i. e. so as to suggest impure thoughts , Suet. Calig. 56: jocandi genus flagitiosum, obscenum, Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104: si obscena nudis nominibus enuntientur, Quint. 8, 3, 38: quodque facere turpe non est, modo occulte, id dicere obscenum est, Cic. Off. 1, 35, 127; cf. id. ib. § 128; Quint. 11, 3, 125. — Comp. : illud Antipatri paulo obscenius, Cic. Tusc. 5, 38, 112: abjectior et obscenior vita, Val. Max. 3, 5 fin.—Sup. : obscenissimi versus, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 2; Vell. 2, 83, 2.—
2 Subst.
α obscēnus , i, m., a lewd person : quis enim non vicus abundat Tristibus obscenis, Juv. 2, 9.—
β obscēna , ōrum, less freq. in the sing., obscēnum , i. n., the private parts , τὰ αἰδοῖα.— Plur. : Nymphe fugiens obscena Priapi, Ov. M. 9, 347; cf.: pars nudi agunt, pars tantum obscena velati, Mel. 3, 7: obscena, Suet. Calig. 58; id. Dom. 10: obscena corporis, Just. 1, 6.— Sing. : virile, Ov. F. 6, 631; Lact. 1, 21, 28; id. Epit. 23, 8; Jul. Obsequ. 84.—Hence, also, adv.: obscēnē (acc. to II. B), impurely, indecently, lewdly, obscenely (class.): latrocinari, fraudare, adulterare, re turpe est, sed dicitur non obscene, Cic. Off. 1, 35, 128.— Comp. : cujus (Mercurii) obscenius excitata natura traditur, Cic. N. D. 3, 22, 56: obscenius concurrerent litterae, id. de Or. 45, 154.— Sup. : impudicissime et obscenissime vixit, Eutr. 8, 22.