mordicus, adv. mordeo, by biting, with bites, with the teeth, ὀδάξ (class.). Lit.: mordicus arripere, Plaut. Curc. 5, 1, 7: si adbites propius, os denasabit tibi Mordicus, will bite your nose off, id. Capt. 3, 4, 73; cf. id. Men. 1, 3, 12: equus eum mordicus interfecit, Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 9: premere capita mordicus, Cic. N. D. 2, 49, 124: auriculam fortasse mordicus abstulisset, would have bitten off, id. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 2: caudā mordicus apprehensā, Plin. 8, 37, 55, § 132: calcibus feriens et mordicus appetens, App. M. 3, p. 140.

—Prov.: mordicus petere aurum e flammā expediat, e ceno cibum, Lucil. ap. Non. 138, 21.

— Trop.: rem mordicus tenere, to hold fast to, not give up, Cic. Ac. 2, 16, 51: verba tenent mordicus, id. Fin. 4, 28, 78; Afran. ap. Charis. p. 184 P.