dē-dĕcus — Lewis & Short
dē-dĕcus, ŏris, n.,
I disgrace, dishonor, infamy, shame (for syn. cf.: offensio, contumelia, infamia, ignominia, turpitudo, obscoenitas, injuria—freq. and class.).
I In gen.: eos dolores atque carnificinas per dedecus atque maximam contumeliam te facere ausum esse? Cato ap. Gell. 10, 3, 17;
so with ignominia,Cic. Div. 2, 9;
with infamia,id. Cluent. 22, 61; cf. id. Cat. 1, 6;
with flagitium,id. Mur. 5, 12;
with probrum,id. Rosc. Am. 24, 68:
vitam per dedecus amittere,Sall. C. 20, 9:
in dedecora incurrunt,Cic. Fin. 1, 14, 47; cf.
with damnum,Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 39:
magnum fuit generi vestro,Cic. Brut. 34, 130:
dedecori est,Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 93:
dedecori esse (alicui),Cic. Off. 1, 33 fin.; id. Att. 8, 11 et saep.; cf.
also: aliter ampla domus dedecori domino fit,id. Off. 1, 39, 139.—
B Concr. (as sometimes our word shame), that which causes shame; a disgrace, blot, blemish: cum nec prodere visum dedecus auderet (viz., the ass's ears of Midas), Ov. M. 11, 184; cf.: naturae dedecus, a monster, said of the ass, Phaedr. 1, 21, 11; cf. Petr. 74, 9; Vulg. Sir. 3, 13. —
II (Acc. to decus, no. II.) Like to\ kako/n, moral dishonor, vice, turpitude; a vicious action, shameful deed, etc. (very freq.):
decus, quod antiqui summum bonum esse dixerant ... itemque dedecus illi summum malum,Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 55; cf. id. Tusc. 2, 5, 14; id. Fin. 3, 11, 38:
dedecus admittere,Caes. B. G. 4, 25, 5; id. B. C. 3, 64 fin.; Cic. Verr. 1, 17, 51; id. Fam. 3, 10, 2 al.:
ad avertendos tantorum dedecorum rumores,Suet. Calig. 48 et saep.; of unchastity, Ov. M. 2, 473; 9, 26; Suet. Aug. 68:
dedecorum pretiosus emptor,Hor. Od. 3, 6, 32:
abdicamus occulta dedecoris,Vulg. 2 Cor. 4, 2.