Lewis & Short

hŭmĕrāle, hŭmĕrus, etc., v. umerale, umerus, etc.

ŭmĕrus (incorrectly spelled hŭmĕ-rus in many edd.), i, m. [cf. ὦμος].

  1. I. Prop., the upper bone of the arm, Cels. 8, 1.
  2. II. Meton.
    1. A. The upper part of the arm (so only poet. for the usual lacertus): innixus dextro plena trahens umero, upperarm, arm, Prop. 1, 20, 44: umeros exsertus uterque, Stat. Th. 5, 439; 4, 235; Ov. F. 1, 409.
    2. B. The shoulder (of a man; opp. armus of an animal, v. h. v.; the predom. signif. of the word): meus est ballista pugnus, cubitus catapulta est mihi, Umerus aries, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 17: id conexum in umero laevo, id. Mil. 4, 4, 44: sagittae pendebant ab umero, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 34, § 74; cf. Hor. C. 1, 21, 12: umerum apertum gladio appetit, Caes. B. C. 2, 35: Chloris albo sic umero nitens, Hor. C. 2, 5, 18: sparsum odoratis umerum capillis, id. ib. 3, 20, 14: pars umeri ima tui, Ov. A. A. 3, 307.
      Plur.: (virgines) quas matres student Demissis umeris esse, Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 23: scutum, gladium, galeam in onere nostri milites non plus numerant quam umeros, lacertos, manus, Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 37: ut bracchia modo atque umeri ad sustinenda arma liberi ab aquā esse possent, Caes. B. G. 7, 56: pedites tantummodo umeris ac summo pectore exstare, id. B. C. 1, 62: cum Milo umeris sustineret bovem vivum, Cic. Sen. 10, 33: quod pupillum filium ipse paene in umeros suos extulisset, id. de Or. 1, 53, 228: densum umeris vulgus, Hor. C. 2, 13, 32: nube candentes umeros amictus Augur Apollo, id. ib. 1, 2, 31; so, candidi, id. ib. 1, 13, 10: umeris positurus arcum, id. ib. 3, 4, 60: et quae nunc umeris involitant, deciderint comae, id. ib. 4, 10, 3 et saep.: ex umeris armi fiunt, Ov. M. 10, 700; so id. ib. 12, 396; cf.: terrestrium solus homo bipes: uni juguli, umeri, ceteris armi, Plin. 11, 43, 98, § 243.
      1. 2. Umerus is also used of animals (as, on the other hand, armi is of men; v. armus); of oxen, Cic. N. D. 2, 63, 159.
        Of cocks, Col. 8, 2, 9.
    3. C. Of the middle part of a thing, the back, ridge (post-Aug.).
      1. 1. Of trees and plants: certum est ab umeris arborum surculos petendos, Plin. 17, 14, 24, § 105; Col. 3, 10, 5; id. Arb. 3, 1.
      2. 2. Of mountain ridges: montium flexus crebrique vertices et conflexa cubito aut confracta in umeros juga, Plin. 2, 44, 44, § 115 (al. numeros): virides umeros, Stat. Th. 6, 714.
      3. 3. Of a country: Rhegium oppidum in umero ejus (Italiae) situm, a quo veluti cervicis incipit flexus, Plin. 3, 5, 6, § 43; so, duo haec oppida … sita sunt utrāque ex parte velut in umeris Helladis, id. 4, 7, 11, § 23.
  3. III. Trop., in plur., the shoulders; as in Engl., when speaking of bearing a burden: tota ut comitia suis, ut dictitabat, umeris sustineret, Cic. Mil. 9, 25: rem publicam umeris sustinere, id. Fl. 37, 94: cum expertus esset, quam bene umeris tuis sederet imperium, Plin. Pan. 10, 6; 57, 4: sumite materiam vestris qui scribitis aequam Viribus, et versate diu, quid ferre recusent, Quid valeant umeri, Hor. A. P. 40.