A.corpse, Hom., etc.: as Subst., in early writers always of mankind, “νεκροὺς συλήσετε τεθνηῶτας” Il. 6.71; “ν. ἔρυον κατατεθνηῶτας” 18.540: freq. of those killed in battle, “τοὺς ν. ὑποσπόνδους ἀνείλοντο” Th.4.44, etc.: in sg., “νεκρῷ ἐούσῃ Μελίσσῃ” Hdt.5.92.“η᾽; κεῖται ν. περὶ νεκρῷ” S.Ant.1240, etc.; “Πατρόκλῳ ν. ὄντι” Pl.R.391b: the Art. is freq. omitted even of a particular corpse, esp. when a gen. is added, ν. γυναικός, ἀνθρώπου, Hdt.2.89, 90, cf. A. Ag.659, Th.1018; later, of a fish, “ν. ἰχθύος” M.Ant.6.13: neut. pl. νεκρά, τά, Plu.2.773d: metaph., “νεκρὰ καὶ καπνός” M.Ant.12.33.
2. dying person, “μυχθισμὸς νεκρῶν” E.Rh.789; “ν. ἀσπαίροντες” Antipho 2.4.5; “ν. ἀποθνῄσκοντες” Th.2.52.
3. metaph., “ὁ υἱός μου ν. ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησε” Ev.Luc.15.24; “ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς καὶ ν. εἶ” Apoc.3.1; “ν. τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ” Ep.Rom.6.11.
4. in pl., the dead, as dwellers in the nether world, “κλυτὰ ἔθνεα νεκρῶν” Od.10.526, cf. 11.34, etc.; “ἐν νεκροῖς” LXXPs.87(88).5; “ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγεῖραι” Ev.Jo.12.1; “ἡ ἀνάστασις ἡ ἐκ ν.” Ev.Luc.20.35: metaph., “ζωὴ ἐκ ν.” Ep.Rom.11.15.
II. as Adj. νεκρός, ά, όν, dead, first in Pi., “ν. ἵππος” Fr.203; ν. σώματα Mitteis Chr.31 ii 22 (ii B.C.), Ach.Tat.3.5, cf. Nic.Dam.58 J., Plu.2.685b, X. Eph.5.1, POxy.51.8 (ii A.D.), BGU1024vii26 (iv/v A.D.) (but also “τὰ τῶν ν. σώματα” Pl.Lg.959b; “σῶμα . . νεκροῦ” E.Hec.679); “ν. χελώνη” Luc.DDeor.7.4: Comp. “-ότερος” AP11.135 (Lucill.).
2. inanimate, inorganic, opp. ἔμψυχος, Plot.3.6.6; οὐχὶ ν., ὥσπερ λίθον ἢ ξύλον, ἀλλὰ ζω<*>ν Id.4.7.9; “οὐρανὸς . . ὢν πρὸ ψυχῆς σῶμα ν., γῆ καὶ ὕδωρ” Id.5.1.2; ἡ ν. θάλασσα the Dead Sea, Paus.5.7.4, Gal.11.690, Orph.A. 1082.
3. metaph., “ν. πλοῦτος” Philostr.VS2.1.1.