I.a limb, member of the body (class.).
I. Lit.: “jam membrorum, id est partium corporis, alia videntur propter eorum usum a natura esse donata, ut manus, crura, pedes, etc. . . . alia quasi ad quendam ornatum, ut cauda pavoni, plumae versicolores columbis, viris mammae atque barba,” Cic. Fin. 3, 5, 18; Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 66: “defessa,” Verg. G. 4, 438; Suet. Vesp. 20: “hispida membra,” Juv. 2, 11: “membrum lacerum laesumve,” Gell. 4, 2, 15: “propter membrum ruptum talio,” Gai. Inst. 3, 223.—
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.—