lacerus

lăcer ( lăcĕrus quoted by Prisc. 901 [p. 1026] P.), ĕra, ĕrum, adj. [root lak-, to tear; Gr. lakeros, torn; lakkos, lake; Lat. lacero, lacus, lacuna, lāma; Irish, loch; Engl. lake], mangled, lacerated, torn to pieces.

I.

Lit. (not in Cic. or Cæs.):

homo,

Lucr. 3, 403:

corpus,

Liv. 1, 28; Plin. 2, 63, 63, § 156:

corpus verberibus,

Just. 21, 4, 7: cui quod membrum lacerum laesumve est, Masur. Sab. ap. Gell. 4, 2, 15:

Deiphobum lacerum crudeliter ora,

mutilated, Verg. A. 6, 495; so,

artus avolsaque membra et funus lacerum tellus habet,

id. ib. 9, 491.—Of the hair:

nec modus aut pennis, laceris aut crinibus, ignem spargere,

Stat. S. 1, 1, 133; Sil. 6, 560; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 177:

vestis,

Tac. H. 3, 10:

tectorum vestigia lacera et semusta,

id. A. 15, 40:

puppis,

Ov. H. 2, 45:

insignia,

Stat. Th. 10, 8:

lacerae unguibus venae,

Sen. Phoen. 162.—

B.

Trop. (postAug. and very rare):

sparsas, atque, ut ita dicam, laceras gentilitates colligere atque conectere,

families rent and scattered, Plin. Pan. 39, 3.— Poet.:

castra,

an army that has lost its general, Sil. 15, 9:

lacerae domus artus componere,

Sen. Thyest. 432.—

* II.

Transf., act., rending, lacerating (for lacerans):

morsus,

Ov. M. 8, 880.