Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

lăcerta, ae, f., and lăcertus, i, m.

  1. I. A lizard: lacerta, Plin. 8, 39, 60, § 141; Ov. M. 5, 458; Hor. C. 1, 23, 7; Mart. 14, 172; Juv. 14, 75: lacertus, Verg. E. 2, 9; id. G. 4, 13; Juv. 14, 131; cf. Schol. Juv. 3, 231.
    Prov.: unius sese dominum fecisse lacertae, to get a little place of one’s own (if only big enough for a lizard), Juv. 3, 231.
  2. II. A sea-fish, otherwise unknown: lacertus, Cic. Att. 2, 6, 1; Plin. 32, 11, 53, § 149; Cels. 2, 18; Mart. 10, 48, 11 al.: lacerta, Dig. 33, 9, 3, § 3.

1. lăcertus, i, m., the muscular part of the arm, from the shoulder to the elbow, the upper arm.

  1. I. Lit., opp. bracchium, the forearm, Lucr. 4, 829; cf.: laudat digitosque manusque, Bracchiaque et nudos mediā plus parte lacertos, Ov. M. 1, 501; and: subjecta lacertis brachia sunt, id. ib. 14, 304; cf. also Quint. 8 prooem. 19: brachia quoque et lacertos auro colunt, Curt. 8, 9, 21.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. The arm (esp. as brawny, muscular): nam scutum gladium galeam in onere nostri milites non plus numerant quam umeros, lacertos, manus, Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 37: Milo Crotoniates nobilitatus ex lateribus et lacertis suis, Cic. de Sen. 9, 27: excusso lacerto telum torquere, Sen. Ben. 2, 6; Prop. 2, 18 (3, 15), 37: lacertos collo imponere, Ov. H. 16, 219: lacerto jaculari, id. Am. 3, 12, 27: amplecti, id. ib. 3, 8, 11: candida cingantur colla lacertis, id. A. A. 2, 457: laevus, Verg. A. 11, 693; Hor. S. 1, 6, 74: adducto contortum hastile lacerto immittit, Verg. A. 11, 561: secto requiem sperare lacerto, Juv. 6, 106.
      Of bees: spicula exacuunt rostris, aptantque lacertos, i. e. make trial of, Verg. G. 4, 74.
    2. B. Transf.
      1. 1. A blow or cast from a strong arm, Sil. 16, 562; 1, 262.
      2. 2. Trop., muscular power, muscle, strength, military force: in Lysia saepe sunt lacerti, sic ut fieri nihil possit valentius, Cic. Brut. 16, 64: hastas oratoris lacertis viribusque torquere, id. de Or. 1, 57, 242: me civilis tulit aestus in arma, Caesaris Augusti non responsura lacertis, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 48; Flor. prooem. § 8: viribus confisus admirandisque lacertis, Juv. 10, 11.

2. lăcertus, i, a lizard; a sea-fish; v. lacerta.