Lewis & Short

furca, ae, f. [Sanscr. bhur-ig, shears; cf. Lat. forceps, forfex; also Gr. φάρος, plough; Lat. forāre; Engl. bore, Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 299; but Corss. refers furca to root dhar-, = fero, as a prop. support; v. Ausspr. 1, 149], a two-pronged fork.

  1. I. Lit.: exacuunt alii vallos furcasque bicornes, Verg. G. 1, 264: valentes, id. ib. 2, 359: furcis detrudi, Liv. 28, 3, 7; cf. Caes. B. C. 2, 11, 2.
    Prov.: naturam expellas furcā, tamen usque recurret, with might and main, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 24 (v. furcilla).
  2. II. Transf., of things shaped like a fork.
    1. A. A forkshaped prop, pole, or stake, for carrying burdens on the back or shoulder, Plaut. Cas. 2, 8, 2; for supporting the seats of a theatre, Liv. 1, 35, 9; for a vine, Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 32; for fishing-nets, id. 9, 8, 9, § 31; for the gable of a house, Ov. M. 8, 700; a frame on which meat was suspended in the chimney, id. ib. 8, 648.
    2. B. An instrument of punishment in the form of a fork (V or II), which was placed on the culprit’s neck, while his hands were fastened to the two ends, a yoke (cf.: crux, gabalus, patibulum; hence, furcifer): To. Satis sumpsimus jam supplici. Do. Fateor, manus vobis do. To. Post dabis sub furcis, Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 71: canem et furcam ferre, id. Cas. 2, 6, 37: servus per circum, cum virgis caederetur, furcam ferens ductus est, Cic. Div. 1, 26, 55: servus sub furca caesus, Liv. 2, 36, 1 Drak.; Val. Max. 1, 7, 4; Lact. 2, 7, 20: sub furca vinctus inter verbera et cruciatus, Liv. 1, 26, 10: cervicem inserere furcae, Suet. Ner. 49; Eutr. 7, 5; Prud. στεφ. 10, 851.
      Hence poet. to designate the worst condition of slavery: ibis sub furcam prudens, Hor. S. 2, 7, 66.
    3. C. A fork-shaped gallows: aliquem furcā figere, Dig. 48, 19, 28 fin.: furcae subicere, ib. 9: in furcam tollere, ib. 38: in furcam suspendere, ib. 13, 6: in furcam damnare, ib. 49, 16, 3: canes vivi in furca, sambucea arbore fixi, Plin. 29. 4, 14, § 57.
    4. D. A fork-shaped yoke in which young bullocks were put to be tamed, Varr. R. R. 1, 20, 2.
    5. E. Furcae cancrorum, the claws of a crab, App. Mag. p. 297.
  3. F. Furcae Caudinae, the narrow pass of Caudium, the Caudine Forks, usually called Furculae Caudinae (v. furcula, II. and Caudium), Val. Max. 5, 1, 5 ext.; 7, 2, 17 ext.