I.to break up, break open (class.; syn.: perfringo, dissicio).
I. Lit.: “cellas,” Plaut. Capt. 4, 4, 10: postes portasque, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 7, 622, and ap. Hor. S. 1, 4, 61 (Ann. v. 271 Vahl.); Caes. B. G. 2, 33; Liv. 10, 43; 24, 30; 25, 9 et saep. al.: “januam,” Tac. A. 14, 8: “palatii fores,” id. H. 1, 35: “claustra,” Cic. Mur. 8, 17; Val. Fl. 1, 595: “carcerem,” Liv. 34, 44 fin.: “glaebam et revolvere in pulverem,” Col. 11, 2, 60: “totas refringere vestes,” to tear open, Ov. M. 9, 208: “radium solis refringi,” is refracted, Plin. 2, 59, 60, § 150.—
B. In gen., to break, break in pieces, break off (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “quae demersa liquore obeunt, refracta videntur Omnia convorti sursumque supina revorti,” Lucr. 4, 440: “refringit virgulta pede vago,” Cat. 63, 86: ramum, to break off, * Verg. A. 6, 210; so, “mucronem,” Plin. 8, 15, 17, § 41; cf. “aculeos,” Plin. Ep. 3, 15, 3: “silvas (Hyleus),” Stat. Th. 4, 139. —
II. Trop., to break, break in pieces, check, weaken, destroy, etc.: “vim fluminis,” Caes. B. G. 7, 56; cf. Liv. 5, 37: “impotentem dominationem,” Nep. Lys. 1, 4; cf.: “Teutonicas opes, Frop. 3, 3 (4, 2), 44: nec Priami domus Achivos refringit,” Hor. C. 3, 3, 28: “ingeniorum impetus,” Plin. Ep. 9, 26, 7: “claustra pudoris et reverentiae,” id. ib. 2, 14, 4: verba, to mutilate or mangle speech, like children, Stat. S. 2, 1, 123.
