I. Lit., to rub all over, to rub or scratch (class.): “caput unguento,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 25, § 62: “totam faciem fuligine,” Petr. 22; Cels. 3, 14: “totum corpus,” id. 1, 3; Plin. 28, 12, 51, § 190: perfrictis oculis, App. M. 2, p. 125, 28: “dentes,” Ov. A. A. 3, 216: “caput sinistrā manu perfricans,” scratching his head, Cic. Pis. 25, 61.—
II. Transf.: frontem, faciem, os, to rub one's forehead or face, in order to make one's blushes disappear; hence, to lay aside all sense of shame, to cast off shame, summon one's assurance, put on a bold face (class.): “cum os perfricuisti,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 18, 41: “vitiosa sunt illa ... perfricare faciem et quasi improbam facere,” Quint. 11, 3, 160: “cum perfricuit frontem posuitque pudorem,” Mart. 11, 27, 7: perfrica frontem et dic, Calv. ap. Quint. 9, 2, 25: perfricui faciem, Plin. H. N. praef. § 4.