Lewis & Short

fĕrĭo, īre (archaic FERINVNT for feriunt; acc. to Fest. s. v. nequinunt, p. 162, 24 Müll.; part. fut. feriturus, Serv. Verg. A. 7, 498. The perf. forms are supplied by percutio, v. Varr. L. L. 9, 55, § 98 Müll.), 4, v. a. [perh. Sanscr. dhūr-, injure, destroy; Lat. ferus, ferox; Gr. θήρ; Aeol. φήρ; cf. Gr. θούριος, impetuous, θορεῖν, to leap; and Lat. furere, furia, etc.], to strike, smite, beat, knock, cut, thrust, hit (class.; syn.: icio, percutio, verbero, vapulo, pulso, tundo, pavio).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: fores, to knock, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 63; cf. parietem, Cic. Cael. 24, 59: murum arietibus, to batter, shake, Sall. J. 76, 6: pugiles adversarium, Cic. Tusc. 2, 23 fin.: jacere telum, voluntatis est; ferire quem nolueris, fortunae, to strike, id. Top. 17, 64: partem corporis sibi, Lucr. 2, 441: frontem, Cic. Att. 1, 1, 1: femur, Quint. 11, 3, 123: pectora solito plangore, Ov. M. 4, 554; cf.: calce feritur aselli, id. F. 3, 755: uvas pede (rusticus), to stamp or tread, Tib. 2, 5, 85: feriri a serpente, to be stung, Plin. 29, 4, 22, § 71; cf. Ov. Ib. 481: cetera (venenata animalia) singulos feriunt, id. ib. 23: tabulam malleo, Cels. 6, 7 fin.: stricto ferit retinacula ferro, cuts to pieces (shortly before: incidere funes), Verg. A. 4, 580: certatim socii feriunt mare et aequora verrunt, strike, lash (in rowing), id. ib. 3, 290: ut frontem ferias, that you may beat your brow, i. e. be provoked, Cic. Att. 1, 1, 1.
      Poet.: sublimi feriam sidera vertice, hit, touch, Hor. C. 1, 1, 36; cf. in the foll. 2.
      Absol.: pugno ferire vel calce, Quint. 2, 8, 13; cf. Hor. S. 2, 7, 99: occursare capro, cornu ferit ille, caveto, pushes, butts, Verg. E. 9, 25.
      1. 2. Of inanim. and abstr. subjects: principio omnibus a rebus, quascumque videmus, Perpetuo fluere ac mitti spargique necesse est Corpora, quae feriant oculos visumque lacessant, strike, touch, Lucr. 6, 923: oculos (corpora, simulacra), id. 4, 217; 257: oculorum acies (res), id. 4, 691: speciem colore (res), id. 4, 243; cf.: his spectris etiam si oculi possent feriri, etc., Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 2: feriuntque summos fulmina montes, Hor. C. 2, 10, 11: nec semper feriet, quodcumque minabitur, arous, id. A. P. 350; cf.: si fractus illabatur orbis, Impavidum ferient ruinae, id. C. 3, 3, 8: nec levius tabulae laterum feriuntur ab undis, Quam, etc., Ov. Tr. 2, 47.
        Poet.: ferientia terram corpora, smiting (in falling), Luc. 4, 786: sole fere radiis foriente cacumina primis, hitting, touching, Ov. M. 7, 804: palla imos ferit alba pedes, touches, reaches to, Val. Fl. 1, 385: ferit aethera clamor, Verg. A. 5, 140: feriat dum maesta remotas Fama procul terras, extends to, Luc. 5, 774.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To kill by striking, to give a deathblow, to slay, kill: hostem, Enn. ap. Cic. Balb. 22, 51 (Ann. v. 284 ed. Vahl.); Sall. C. 7, 6; 60, 4; id. J. 85, 33; cf.: aliquem securi feriri, to be beheaded, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 30, § 75: aliquem telo trabali, Verg. A. 12, 295: retiarium (mirmillo), Quint. 6, 3, 61: te (maritum), Hor. C. 3, 11, 43: leonem atque alias feras primus aut in primis ferire, Sall. J. 6, 1: aprum, Ov. M. 3, 715.
        1. b. Of the animals for sacrifice, to kill, slaughter; and hence, to offer, sacrifice: nos humilem feriemus agnam, Hor. C. 2, 17, 32: vaccam Proserpinae, Verg. A. 6, 251; cf. the form of oath in making a compact (when a swine was sacrificed): SI PRIOR DEFEXIT (populus Romanus) PVBLICO CONSILIO DOLO MALO, TV ILLO DIE IVPPITER, POPVLVM ROMANVM SIC FERITO, VT EGO HVNC PORCVM HIC HODIE FERIAM: TANTOQVE MAGIS FERITO, QVANTO MAGIS POTES POLLESQVE, Liv. 1, 24, 8: Quid aut sponsoribus in foedere opus esset aut obsidibus, ubi precatione res transigitur? per quem populum fiat, quo minus legibus dictis stetur, ut eum ita Juppiter feriat, quemadmodum a Fetialibus porcus feriatur, id. 9, 5, 3. (Cf. also: Jovis ante aram Stabant et caesā jungebant foedera porcă, Verg. A. 8, 641).
          Hence,
      2. 2. Transf., foedus ferire, to make a compact, covenant, or treaty (in Hebrew in precisely the same manner, [??]): accipe daque fidem, foedusque feri bene firmum, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 33 ed. Vahl.): is, quicum foedus feriri in Capitolio viderat, Cic. Rab. Post. 3, 6: videret ut satis honestum foedus feriretur, id. Inv. 2, 30, 92: amorum turpissimorum foedera ferire, to form illicit connections, id. Cael. 14, 34: Tarchon jungit opes foedusque ferit, Verg. A. 10, 154 al.
      3. 3. Of money, to strike, stamp, coin: asses sextantario pondere, Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 44. Thus the designation of a triumvir monetalis is III. VIR. A. A. A. F. F., i. e. Triumvir auro argento aeri flando feriundo, Inscr. Orell. 569.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen.: quae faciliora sunt philosophis, quo minus multa patent in eorum vita, quae fortuna feriat, reaches, affects, Cic. Off. 1, 21, 73: accidit, ut ictu simili (i. e. morte propinqui) ferirer, was struck with a similar blow, Quint. 6 praef. § 3: verba palato, to bring out, utter, speak, Hor. S. 2, 3, 274; cf.: sonat vox, ut feritur, Quint. 11, 3, 61: feriunt animum (sententiae), id. 12, 10, 48: ut omnis sensus in fine sermonis feriat aurem, id. 8, 5, 13; cf. id. 9, 3, 4.
      Absol.: binis aut ternis ferire verbis, Cic. Or. 67, 226: videtur Chrysippus medium ferire voluisse, i. e. to avoid extremes, id. Fat. 17, 39.
    2. B. In partic., to cozen, cheat, gull, trick (mostly in vulg. lang.; not in Cic.): ubi illa pendentem ferit, jam amplius orat, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 19; Ter. Ph. 1, 1, 13: cum ferit astutos comica moecha Getas, Prop. 4 (5), 5, 44: austeros arte ferire viros, id. 3, 3 (4, 2), 50.
    3. C. To punish, inflict punishment: aliquem condemnatione centum librarum auri, Cod. 11, 11, 1.