I. Lit., the lower part of the trunk of plants, including the roots; a stock, stem, stalk; a root (class. and very freq.; cf. “radix): arborum altitudo nos delectat. radices stirpesque non item,” Cic. Or. 43, 147: “terra stirpes amplexa alat,” id. N. D. 2, 33, 83; cf. id. ib. 2, 10, 26; 2, 47, 120; “2, 51, 127: ut tantum modo per stirpis alantur suas,” id. ib. 2, 32, 81: “sceptrum in silvis imo de stirpe recisum,” Verg. A. 12, 208: harundo omnis ex unā stirpe numerosa, Plin. 16, 36, 65, § “163: palmarum stirpibus ali,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 38, § 99; so, “palmarum,” id. ib. 2, 5, 50, § “131 (for which: radices palmarum,” id. ib. 2, 5, 33, § 87); cf.: “lento in stirpe moratus,” Verg. A. 12, 781 (for which, just before: “lentā in radice): stirpes raptas volvere,” Hor. C. 3, 29, 37: “validis amplexae stirpibus ulmos,” Verg. G. 2, 367: “hic stirpes obruit arvo,” id. ib. 2, 24: “domos avium cum stirpibus imis Eruit,” id. ib. 2, 209; cf. “of hair: vellere albos ab stirpe capillos,” Prop. 3 (4), 25, 13. Tib. 1, 8, 45: “ex hac nimiā licentiā, ut ex stirpe quādam, exsistere, etc.,” Cic. Rep. 1, 44, 68.—
B. Transf.
1. Of vegetables.
a. A plant, shrub (esp. freq. in plur.): “stirpium naturae,” Cic. Fin. 5, 4, 10; cf.: “cum arborum et stirpium eadem paene natura sit,” id. ib. 5, 11, 33; so (with arbores) id. Phil. 2, 22, 55; (with herbae) id. N. D. 2, 64, 161: “pati (terram) stirpium asperitate vastari,” id. ib. 2, 39, 99: “stirpes tenent,” Luc. 4, 42: “internatas saxis stirpes et herbas vellentes,” Tac. H. 4, 60.—
b. A shoot, sprout: “rami stirpesque,” Lucr. 5, 1100: “stirpem praecisum circumligato, etc.,” Cato, R. R. 40, 2: “probatissimum genus stirpis deponere, i. e. malleolos,” Col. 3, 5, 4: “stirpem post annum praecidi,” id. 5, 6, 13: “stirpis committere ramis,” engraft, Lucr. 5, 1365.—
2. Of persons.
a. A stem, stock, race, family, lineage (cf.: “genus, familia): ignoratio stirpis et generis,” Cic. Lael. 19, 70: “stirpis ac gentilitatis jus,” id. de Or. 1, 39, 176: “qui sunt ejusdem stirpis,” id. Rab. Post. 1, 2: a stirpe supremo, Enn. ap. Non. 226, 32 (Ann. v. 184 Vahl.): “divinae stirpis Acestes,” Verg. A. 5, 711: “Priami de stirpe,” id. ib. 5, 297: “Herculis stirpe generatus,” Cic. Rep. 2, 12, 24: “hinc orti stirpe antiquissimā sumus,” id. Leg. 2, 1, 3: “hominum sceleratorum,” Caes. B. G. 6, 34: “ab stirpe socius et amicus populi Romani,” Sall. J. 14, 2 et saep.: “unum relictum, stirpem genti Fabiae futurum,” Liv. 2, 50 fin.—
b. Like Engl. scion, = offspring, descendant, progeny (mostly poet.; not in Cic.): stirps liberum, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 16 Müll. (Trag. v. 317 Vahl.); so, “liberum,” Liv. 45, 11; cf.: “aliquis magnā de stirpe nepotum,” Verg. A. 6, 864: “stirps et genus omne futurum,” id. ib. 4, 622; cf.: “en stirps et progenies tot consulum, tot dictatorum,” Tac. A. 2, 37 fin.: “stirpis virilis,” Liv. 1, 1, 11; cf.: “qui stirpem ex sese domi relinquerent,” id. 41, 8, 9.—
II. Trop., source, origin, foundation, first beginning, cause, etc.: “altae stirpes stultitiae,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: “superstitionis stirpes,” id. Div. 2, 72, 149: “virtutis,” id. Cael. 32, 79: “quā ex stirpe orirentur amicitiae cognationum,” id. Fin. 4, 7, 17: “quodsi exquiratur usque ab stirpe auctoritas,” Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 180: “populum a stirpe repetere,” Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21 Mos.: “repetam stirpem juris a naturā,” id. Leg. 1, 6, 20: “stirps ac semen malorum omnium,” id. Cat. 1, 12, 30; cf.: “ea pars, quae quasi stirps est hujus quaestionis,” id. Fin. 4, 2, 5: “non ingenerantur hominibus mores tam a stirpe generis ac seminis, quam, etc.,” original nature, id. Agr. 2, 35, 95; cf.: “exoletā stirpe gentis,” Liv. 37, 8, 4.—So esp. in phrase ab stirpe, utterly: “Karthago ab stirpe interiit,” Sall. C. 10, 1: “gens ab stirpe exstincta est,” Liv. 9, 34, 19: “omne genus ab stirpe sublatum esse,” id. 34, 2, 3; cf.: “omnis intra annum cum stirpe exstinctos,” id. 9, 29, 10: “velut ab stirpibus renata urbs,” id. 6, 1, 3.
