Lewis & Short

2. līber, ĕri (gen. plur. liberūm, Att. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 9; Turp. ap. Non. 495, 26; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40; 2, 1, 30, § 77; Tac. A. 2, 38; 3, 25 saep.; cf. Cic. Or. 46, 155; but also: liberorum, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 30, § 76; 2, 5, 42, § 109), m. [1. liber], a child.

  1. I. Sing. (post-class. and rare): si quis maximam portionem libero relinquat, Cod. Just. 3, 28, 33; 5, 9, 8 fin.; Quint. Decl. 2, 8.
  2. II. Plur., children (freq.; but in class. Lat. only of children with reference to their parents: pueri = children in general, as younger than adulescentes; cf. Krebs, Antibarb. p. 657 sq.).
    1. A. Lit.: liberorum genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Or. 46, 155 (Trag. v. 347 Vahl.): liberorum sibi quaesendum gratia, id. ap. Fest. p. 258 Müll. (Trag. v. 161 Vahl.): cum conjugibus et liberis, Cic. Att. 8, 2, 3: eum ex C. Fadii filiā liberos habuisse, id. ib. 16, 11, 1: liberos procreare, id. Tusc. 5, 37, 109: suscipere liberos, id. Verr. 2, 3, 69, § 161: per liberos te precor, Hor. Epod. 5, 5: dulces, id. ib. 2, 40: parvuli, Quint. 2, 15, 8; opp. parentes, id. 11, 1, 82; 3, 7, 18; 26; 6, 1, 18; 6, 5 al.: mater quae liberos, quasi oculos (amisit), orba est, Sulp. ap. Paul. ex Fest. p. 182 Müll.: jus trium liberorum, under the emperors, a privilege enjoyed by those who had three legitimate children (it consisted in the permission to fill a public office before one’s twenty-fifth year, and in freedom from personal burdens); this privilege was sometimes also bestowed on those who had fewer than three children, or even none at all; also of one child: non est sine liberis, cui vel unus filius unave filia est, Dig. 50, 16, 148; Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 6; Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 15; id. Heaut. 1, 1, 99; id. And. 5, 3, 20; Cic. Phil. 1, 1, 2; id. de Imp. Pomp. 12, 33; id. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40; ib. 30, § 76 Zumpt; cf. also Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 5: neque ejus legendam filiam (virginem Vestalem) … qui liberos tres haberet, Gell. 1, 12, 8: uxores duxerant, ex quibus plerique liberos habebant, Caes. B. C. 3, 110, 2.
      Of grandchildren and great-grandchildren: liberorum appellatione nepotes et pronepotes ceterique qui ex his descendunt, continentur, Dig. 50, 16, 220; cf.: liberi usque ad trinepotem, ultra hos posteriores vocantur, ib. 38, 10, 10, § 7: habitus sis in liberum loco, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 15, § 40.
      1. 2. Esp.
          1. (α) Of sons (opp. daughters): procreavit liberos septem totidemque filias, Hyg. Fab. 9.
          2. (β) Of children in gen. = pueri: praecepta Chrysippi de liberorum educatione, Quint. 1, 11, 17; cf.: Catus aut de liberis educandis, the title of a book by Varro, v. Gell. 4, 19, 2; Macr. S. 3, 6, 5.
    2. B. Transf., of animals, young: liberis orbas oves, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 38.
      Comically: quaerunt litterae hae sibi liberos: alia aliam scandit, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 23.