I.a blow, stroke, wound, stripe (class.; syn.: ictus, verbera, vulnus).
I. Lit.
A. In gen., Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 51, § 134: “(pueris) dant animos plagae,” Verg. A. 7, 382; Ov. M. 12, 487; 13, 119; Gell. 5, 15, 7: “plagae et vulnera,” Tac. G. 7.—Of the shock of atoms striking together, Cic. Fat. 20, 48; cf. id. ib. 10, 22.—
B. In partic., a blow which wounds or injures; a stroke, cut, thrust; a wound (class.).
1. Absol.: “plagis costae callent,” Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 4: “quem irrigatum plagis pistori dabo,” refreshed by a flogging, id. Ep. 1, 2, 18: “plagas pati,” Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 13: “plagas perferre,” to bear, receive blows, Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41: “plagam accipere,” id. Sest. 19, 44: “plagam mortiferam infligere,” to inflict a mortal wound, id. Vatin. 8, 20: “plaga mediocris pestifera,” id. Off. 1, 24, 84: “verbera et plagas repraesentare,” stripes and blows, Suet. Vit. 10: “plagis confectus,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 140: “flagelli plaga livorem facit,” Vulg. Ecclus. 28, 21: “plagam curare,” Cels. 5, 26, 24: “suere,” id. 5, 26, 23.—
2. With gen.: “scorpionum et canum plagas sanare,” Plin. H. N. 23 prooem. 3, § 6.—
C. Transf., a welt, scar, stripe: “etiam de tergo ducentas plagas praegnatis dabo,” swollen welts, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 10.—
II. Trop.
A. A blow, stroke; an injury, misfortune (class.): “illa plaga est injecta petitioni tuae maxima,” that great blow was given, that great obstacle was presented, Cic. Mur. 23, 48: “sic nec oratio plagam gravem facit, nisi, etc.,” makes a deep impression, id. Or. 68, 228: “levior est plaga ab amico, quam a debitore,” loss, injury, id. Fam. 9, 16, 7: “hac ille perculsus plaga non succubuit,” blow, disaster, Nep. Eum. 5.—
D. Slaughter, destruction (late Lat.): “percussit eos plagā magnā,” Vulg. 1 Reg. 23, 5; id. 2 Reg. 17, 9.