verb transitive

prae-fringo

2nd PP prae-fringere · 3rd PP praefrēgi · 4th PP praefractum · conj. 3rd

to break off before; at the end; to break to pieces ••

to break off before or at the end, to break to pieces, shiver (class.): ne caulis praefringatur, Cato, R. R. 33 (cited by Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 20): hastas, Liv. 8, 10; so, primam aciem telo, to break off the point of the missile, Just. 6, 8, 2: cornu galeae, Liv. 27, 33: praefracto rostro (triremis), Caes. B. C. 2, 6: praefracta strigilis, Lucil. ap. Gell. 3, 14, 10: praefracta ligna, Lucr. 1, 892.—Hence, praefractus, a, um, P. a.

broken; abrupt •

In rhet., broken, abrupt: Thucydides praefractior, Cic. Or. 13, 40.—

stern; harsh; inflexible •

In character, stern, harsh, inflexible: Aristo Chius, praefractus, ferreus, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 155, 14: praefractior atque abscissior justitia, Val. Max. 6, 5 fin.: praefractius perseverantiae exemplum, sterner, firmer, id. 3, 8, ext. 3.—Adv.: praefractē, sternly, inflexibly, resolutely: aerarium defendere, Cic. Off. 3, 22, 88 (Non. 155, 11, reads praefractum).—Comp., Val. Max. 9, 7 fin.

Perseus ID: n37617 Key: praefringo