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-fīgo , xi, xum, 3,
I.v. a., to fasten down or in; and with especial reference to the terminus, to drive, fix, or fasten into (class.). —
I. Lit.: in campo Martio crucem ad civium supplicium defigi et constitui jubes, Cic. Rab. perd. 4; so, “tigna machinationibus immissa in flumen,Caes. B. G. 4, 17, 4: “sudes sub aqua,id. ib. 5, 18, 3: “asseres in terra defigebantur,id. B. C. 2, 2; Liv. 44, 5: “verutum in balteo,Caes. B. G. 5, 44, 7: “sicam in consulis corpore,to thrust, Cic. Cat. 1, 6; cf.: “cultrum in corde,Liv. 1, 58 fin.: “tellure hastas,Verg. A. 12, 130; cf. id. ib. 6, 652: “gladium superne jugulo,Liv. 1, 25; cf. Ov. M. 13, 436 al.: cruci defiguntur, Varr. ap. Non. 221, 13: “arborem penitus terrae,Verg. G. 2, 290: “te hodie, si prehendero, defigam in terram colaphis,Plaut. Pers. 2, 4, 22 (for which, shortly after, cruci affigere): “morsus in aurem,Plin. 8, 12, 12, § 34: “clavum percussum malleo in cerebrum,Vulg. Judic. 4, 21; Eccles. 12, 11. —
B. Meton. (Causa pro effectu.) To fix, fasten, render immovable (rare): “defixa caelo sidera,Hor. Epod. 17, 5; cf. Ov. M. 11, 76: “defixere aciem in his vestigiis,have fixed them motionless, Tac. Agr. 34; cf.: “defixi et Neronem intuentes,id. A. 13, 16: “sedeo defixus,Plin. Ep. 9, 34, 1: “me defixum in ora, etc.,Prop. 1, 8, 15.—
C. Esp. in phrase, manus defigere, to strike hands, i. e., to close a contract as surety, to pledge one's person, Vulg. Prov. 6, 1; 22, 26.—
II. Trop.
B. In partic.
1. To strike motionless, sc. with astonishment, etc.; to stupefy, astound, astonish (not freq. till after the Aug. per.): “utraque simul objecta res oculis animisque immobiles parumper eos defixit,Liv. 21, 33; so, “aliquem,id. 3, 47; 6, 40 al.: silentium triste ita defixit omnium animos, ut, etc., Liv. 1, 29.—In the part. perf.: “dum stupet obtutuque haeret defixus in uno,Verg. A. 1, 495; 6, 156; 7, 249; Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 14; Liv. 8, 7; Tac. A. 1, 68; 13, 5 et saep.—
2. Religious t. t. *
a. To declare fixedly, firmly, unalterably: “QVAE AVGVR VITIOSA, DIRA DEFIXERIT, IRRITA SVNTO,Cic. Leg. 2, 8 fin.
b. (Because, in making imprecations, the waxen image of him for whom destruction was to be prepared, or his name written in wax, was stuck through with a needle; cf. Ov. H. 6, 91 sq., and Voss upon Verg. E. 8, 80.) To bewitch, enchant; to curse any thing: “caput alicujus dira imprecatione,Sen. Ben. 6, 35: “defigi imprecationibus,Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 19: “nomina cerā,Ov. Am. 3, 7, 29; cf.: “DEFIXA NOMINA,Inscr. Orell. 3726: “regis animum Iolchiacis votis,Verg. Cir. 376.—
3. To censure, reprove a thing: “culpam,Pers. 5, 16.
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hide References (39 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (39):
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 4.17.4
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 5.44.7
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 1.6
    • Cicero, Philippics, 14.5.13
    • Cicero, Philippics, 4.5
    • Cicero, On the Consular Provinces, 4.8
    • Cicero, Philippics, 11.5.10
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 13.436
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 11.76
    • Plautus, Persa, 2.4
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 1.495
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 12.130
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 6.156
    • Vergil, Georgics, 2.290
    • Old Testament, Proverbs, 6.1
    • Caesar, Civil War, 2.2
    • Tacitus, Annales, 13.16
    • Tacitus, Annales, 1.68
    • Tacitus, Annales, 3.1
    • Tacitus, Agricola, 34
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.8
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 8.34
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 28.19
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 9.34.1
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 3, 47
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 44, 5
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 25
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 33
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 40
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 8, 7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 29
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 58
    • Seneca, de Beneficiis, 6.35
    • Cicero, De Legibus, 2.8
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.11
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 11, 3.158
    • Persius, Saturae, 5
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 7.8
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 9.3
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