membrum

membrum, i, n. [etym. dub.; perh. for mems-trum; cf. Sanscr. māmsa, flesh], a limb, member of the body (class.).

I.

Lit.:

jam membrorum, id est partium corporis, alia videntur propter eorum usum a natura esse donata, ut manus, crura, pedes, etc.... alia quasi ad quendam ornatum, ut cauda pavoni, plumae versicolores columbis, viris mammae atque barba,

Cic. Fin. 3, 5, 18; Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 66:

defessa,

Verg. G. 4, 438; Suet. Vesp. 20:

hispida membra,

Juv. 2, 11:

membrum lacerum laesumve,

Gell. 4, 2, 15:

propter membrum ruptum talio,

Gai. Inst. 3, 223.—

B.

In partic., = membrum virile, Auct. Priap. 70, 17. So plur. membra, Ov. Am. 3, 7, 65; cf. App. M. 5, 6, p. 161; id. ib. 10, 31, p. 254; Aus. Epigr. 120, 4.—

II.

Transf.

A.

In gen.

1.

Of inanim. and abstr. things, a part, portion, division:

omnes philosophiae partes atque omnia membra,

Cic. N. D. 1, 4, 9:

solvere quassatae parcite membra ratis,

Ov. Tr. 1, 2, 2:

per omnia philosophiae membra prudenter disputando currere,

Amm. 16, 5, 6: eadem sunt membra in utrāque disputatione, Cic. de Or. 3, 30, 119 —

2.

Of persons:

Ponticus... Bassus... dulcia convictūs membra fuere mei,

Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 48:

membra et partes alienae potentiae,

Sen. Ep. 21, 6; cf. poet.:

fluctuantia membra Libyae,

Sil. 2, 310.—

B.

Esp.

1.

A member of the state:

per multa membra civitas in unum tantum corpus redigitur,

Just. 5, 10, 10:

membra partesque imperii,

Suet. Aug. 48:

reipublicae totius membra,

Amm. 18, 5, 1:

urbis,

id. 15, 7, 5:

Achaei scilicet per civitates velut per membra divisi sunt, unum tamen corpus et unum imperium habent,

Just. 34, 1, 2: corpore sic toto ac membris Roma usa. Sil. 12, 318:

cur ut decisa atque avulsa a corpore membra despiciar,

id. 1, 670.—

2.

An apartment, chamber in a house:

dormitorium membrum,

a bed-chamber, Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 9:

domūs membra,

App. M. 3, 28, p. 141; 7, 1, p. 188:

modus membrorum numerusque,

Col. 6, 1, 1:

cubicula et ejusmodi membra,

Cic. ad Q. Fr. 3, 1, 1, § 2.—

3.

Of speech, a member or clause of a sentence: quae Graeci kommata et kôla nominant, nos recte incisa et membra dicimus, Cic. Or. 62, 211; cf. Auct. Her. 4, 19, 26.—

4.

Of the Church of Christ:

singuli autem alter alterius membra,

Vulg. Rom. 12, 5; cf.

the context: membra sumus corporis ejus,

i. e. Christ's, id. Eph. 5, 30.