săcerdos, ōtis, comm. (fem. collat. form SACERDOTA, Inscr. Orell. 2184; cf. antistes init.; gen. plur. SACERDOTIVM, Inscr. Orell. 1942) [sacer], a priest; a priestess: divis aliis alii sacerdotes, omnibus pontifices, singulis flamines sunto. . . sacerdotum duo genera sunto: unum quod praesit caerimoniis et sacris, alterum quod interpretetur fatidicorum et vatum effata incognita, etc., Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20; cf. Liv. 1, 19; Suet. Tib. 26: in collegio sacerdotum, Cic. Brut. 33, 127: publici, Liv. 5, 40; 26, 23; 42, 28; Suet. Vit. 11: Phoebi, Verg. A. 3, 80: sacerdotes casti, id. ib. 6, 661: populi Romani, Gell. 10, 24, 9: Jovis, Suet. Galb. 9; cf. Dialis, id. Dom. 4: Dianae Ephesiae, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 73: maximus (Syracusanorum), Cic. Verr. 2,2,52, § 128: tumuloque sacerdos additur Anchiseo, Verg. A. 5, 760.—In fem.: sacra Cereris per Graecas semper curata sunt sacerdotes, etc., Cic. Balb. 24, 55; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 45, § 99: Veneris, Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 17; cf. Veneria, id. ib. 2, 2, 23; 2, 3, 20; 3, 2, 30: hujus fani, id. ib. 1, 5, 27.—Absol., Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 73; 2, 4, 27; 2, 5, 22 al.: Vestae, a Vestal, Ov. F. 5, 573; Cic. Font. 17, 47 (37): Vestalis, an old formula ap. Gell. 1, 12, 14: Troïa, i. e. Ilia, Hor. C. 3, 3, 32 et saep.; v. the inscriptions in Orell. 2160 sq.—In apposition: proximi nobilissimis ac sacerdotibus viris, Vell. 2, 124: in illo adultero sacerdote, Quint. 5, 10, 104: sacerdotem anum praecipem Reppulit, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 8; cf. regina (i. e. Rhea Silvia), Verg. A. 1, 273.— Transf., sarcastically: ille popularis, i. e. Clodius (on account of his smuggling himself in among the priestesses of the Bona Dea), Cic. Sest. 30, 66; of the same: stuprorum sacerdos, id. ib. 17, 39: tyranni sacerdos, id. Phil. 2, 43, 110.—In eccl. Lat., of Christ as a mediator between God and men, Vulg. Heb. 7, 15.