I.gen. plur. meretricium, Plaut. Cas. 3, 3, 22: “meretricum,” id. Ep. 2, 2, 29; Ov. A. A. 1, 435), f. mereo; she who earns moncy; hence, a prostitute, harlot, courtesan: “ita sunt hic meretrices omnes elecebrae argentariae,” Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 26: “meretricem indigne deperit,” id. Bacch. 3, 3, 66: “proterva meretrix procaxque, Cic Cael. 20, 49: meretrix inter multos se dividit,” Sen. Ben. 1, 14, 4: “stat meretrix certo cuivis mercabilis aere,” Ov. Am. 1, 10, 21: “Augusta, i. e. Messalina,” Juv. 6, 118: “regina, i. e. Cleopatra,” Plin. 9, 35, 58, § 119: “Manilia,” Gell. 4, 14, 3.
mĕrē^trix , īcis (