previous next
per-cŭtĭo , cussi, cussum, 3 (
I.perf. contr. percusti for percussisti, Hor. S. 2, 3, 273), v. a. quatio.
I. (With the notion of the per predominating.) To strike through and through, to thrust or pierce through (syn.: percello, transfigo).
A. Lit.: “percussus cultello,” Varr. R. R. 1, 69, 2: “gladio percussus,” Cic. Mil. 24, 65: “Mamilio pectus percussum,” Liv. 2, 19, 8: “coxam Aeneae,” Juv. 15, 66: “vena percutitur,” a vein is opened, blood is let, Sen. Ep. 70, 16: “fossam,” to cut through, dig a trench, Front. Strat. 3, 17; Plin. Ep. 10, 50, 4.—
B. Transf., to slay, kill (class.; cf.: “neco, perimo, ico, ferio): aliquem securi,” to behead, Cic. Pis. 34, 84; id. Fin. 1, 7, 23: “collum percussa securi Victima,” Ov. Tr. 4, 2, 5; Liv. 39, 43: “aliquem veneno,” App. M. 10, p. 252, 21: “hostem,” Suet. Calig. 3; Ov. H. 4, 94.—Hence, percutere foedus, to make a league, conclude a treaty (because an animal was slaughtered on the occasion; “only post-Aug. for ferio, ico), Auct. B. Alex. 44: cum Albanis foedus percussit,” Just. 42, 3, 4; 43, 5, 10; Vulg. 3 Reg. 5, 12.—
II. (With the idea of the verb predominating.) To strike, beat, hit, smite, shoot, etc. (cf.: ico, pulso, ferio).
A. Lit.
1. In gen. (class.): “ceu lapidem si Percutiat lapis aut ferrum,” Lucr. 6, 162: “cum Cato percussus esset ab eo, qui arcam ferebat,” had been struck, Cic. de Or. 2, 69, 279: “januam manu,” Tib. 1, 5, 68; 1, 6, 3: “turres de caelo percussae,” struck with lightning, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 19; cf.: “hunc nec Juppiter fulmine percussit,” id. N. D. 3, 35, 84: “percussus ab aspide calcatā,” stung, bitten, Plin. 23, 1, 27, § 56; cf.: PERCVSSVS A VIPERA, Inscr. Vermigl. Iscriz. Perug. p. 319; Plin. 28, 3, 6, § 30; 28, 4, 10, § 44: “color percussus luce refulgit,” struck, Lucr. 2, 799; cf. Ov. M. 6, 63; Val. Fl. 1, 495: “auriculae (voce) percussae,” Prop. 1, 16, 28: “percussus vocibus circus,” Sil. 16, 398.—Neutr.: “sol percussit super caput,” Vulg. Jonae, 4, 8.—
2. In partic.
a. To strike, stamp, coin money (post-Aug.): “ut nummum argenteum notā sideris Capricorni percusserit,” Suet. Aug. 94; id. Ner. 25. —
b. To strike, play a musical instrument (poet.): “lyram,” Ov. Am. 3, 12, 40; Val. Fl. 5, 100.—
c. As t. t. in weaving, to throw the shuttle with the woof: (lacernae) male percussae textoris pectine Galli, badly or coarsely woven, Juv. 9, 30.—
d. Haec meraclo se percussit flore Libyco (=vino Mareotico), to get drunk, Plaut. Cas. 3, 5, 16 (cf.: sauciare se flore Liberi, Enn. ap. Fulg. 562, 25).—
B. Trop.
1. To smite, strike, visit with calamity of any kind (class.): “percussus calamitate,” Cic. Mur. 24, 49: “percussus fortunae vulnere,” id. Ac. 1, 3, 11: “ruina,” Vulg. Zach. 14, 18: anathemate. id. Mal. 4, 6: “plaga,” id. 1 Macc. 1, 32: “in stuporem,” id. Zach. 12, 4.—
2. To strike, shock, make an impression upon, affect deeply, move, astound (class.): “percussisti me de oratione prolatā,” Cic. Att. 3, 12, 3; id. Mil. 29, 79: audivi ex Gavio, Romae esse hominem, et fuisse assiduum: percussit animum, it struck me, made me suspicious, id. Att. 4, 8, b, 3: “animos probabilitate,” id. Tusc. 5, 11, 33: “percussus atrocissimis litteris,” id. Fam. 9, 25, 3: “fragor aurem percutit,” Juv. 11, 98.—
3. To cheat, deceive, impose upon one (class.): “aliquem probe,” Plaut. Ps. 2, 2, 9: “hominem eruditum,” Cic. Fl. 20, 46: “hominem strategemate,” id. Att. 5, 2, 2: “aliquem palpo,” to flatter, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 28.—
4. (Acc. to II. A. 2. a.) To strike, stamp (post-Aug.): “facta dictaque tua unā formā percussa sunt,” Sen. Ep. 34, 3.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support for entering this text.

hide Dictionary Entry Lookup
Use this tool to search for dictionary entries in all lexica.
Search for in
hide References (38 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (38):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 9.25.3
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 3.12.3
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 4.8
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 5.2.2
    • Cicero, Against Catiline, 3.8.19
    • Cicero, For Lucius Murena, 24.49
    • Cicero, For Milo, 24.65
    • Cicero, For Milo, 29.79
    • Cicero, Against Piso, 34.84
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 6.63
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 2.2
    • Old Testament, 1 Kings, 5.12
    • Old Testament, 1 Maccabees, 1.32
    • Old Testament, Malachi, 4.6
    • Old Testament, Zechariah, 12.4
    • Old Testament, Zechariah, 14.18
    • Suetonius, Divus Augustus, 94
    • Horace, Satires, 2.3.273
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 1.3
    • Plautus, Casina, 3.5
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 2.69
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 2.799
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 6.162
    • Suetonius, Caligula, 3
    • Suetonius, Nero, 25
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 23.56
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 28.30
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 28.44
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 19.8
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 39, 43
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 1.7
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 3.35
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 5.11
    • C. Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica, 1.495
    • C. Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica, 5.100
    • Seneca, Epistulae, 34.3
    • Seneca, Epistulae, 70.16
    • Ovid, Tristia, 4.2
hide Display Preferences
Greek Display:
Arabic Display:
View by Default:
Browse Bar: