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membrum , i, n. etym. dub.; perh. for mems-trum; cf. Sanscr. māmsa, flesh,
I.a limb, member of the body (class.).
B. In partic., = membrum virile, Auct. Priap. 70, 17. So plur. membra, Ov. Am. 3, 7, 65; cf. App. M. 5, 6, p. 161; id. ib. 10, 31, p. 254; Aus. Epigr. 120, 4.—
II. Transf.
A. In gen.
1. Of inanim. and abstr. things, a part, portion, division: “omnes philosophiae partes atque omnia membra,Cic. N. D. 1, 4, 9: “solvere quassatae parcite membra ratis,Ov. Tr. 1, 2, 2: “per omnia philosophiae membra prudenter disputando currere,Amm. 16, 5, 6: eadem sunt membra in utrāque disputatione, Cic. de Or. 3, 30, 119
2. Of persons: “Ponticus . . . Bassus . . . dulcia convictūs membra fuere mei,Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 48: “membra et partes alienae potentiae,Sen. Ep. 21, 6; cf. poet.: “fluctuantia membra Libyae,Sil. 2, 310.—
B. Esp.
1. A member of the state: “per multa membra civitas in unum tantum corpus redigitur,Just. 5, 10, 10: “membra partesque imperii,Suet. Aug. 48: “reipublicae totius membra,Amm. 18, 5, 1: “urbis,id. 15, 7, 5: “Achaei scilicet per civitates velut per membra divisi sunt, unum tamen corpus et unum imperium habent,Just. 34, 1, 2: corpore sic toto ac membris Roma usa. Sil. 12, 318: “cur ut decisa atque avulsa a corpore membra despiciar,id. 1, 670.—
2. An apartment, chamber in a house: “dormitorium membrum,a bed-chamber, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 9: “domūs membra,App. M. 3, 28, p. 141; 7, 1, p. 188: “modus membrorum numerusque,Col. 6, 1, 1: “cubicula et ejusmodi membra,Cic. ad Q. Fr. 3, 1, 1, § 2.—
3. Of speech, a member or clause of a sentence: quae Graeci κόμματα et κῶλα nominant, nos recte incisa et membra dicimus, Cic. Or. 62, 211; cf. Auct. Her. 4, 19, 26.—
4. Of the Church of Christ: “singuli autem alter alterius membra,Vulg. Rom. 12, 5; cf. “the context: membra sumus corporis ejus,” i. e. Christ's, id. Eph. 5, 30.
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hide References (16 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (16):
    • New Testament, Ephesians, 5.30
    • New Testament, Romans, 12.5
    • Vergil, Georgics, 4.438
    • Suetonius, Divus Vespasianus, 20
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 5.1
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 3.30
    • Suetonius, Divus Augustus, 48
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 2.17.9
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 3.5
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.4
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 4.2.15
    • Seneca, Epistulae, 21.6
    • Ovid, Tristia, 1.2
    • Ovid, Tristia, 4.10
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 6.1.1
    • Cicero, Orator, 62.211
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