Lewis & Short

prae-fringo, frēgi, fractum, 3, v. a. [frango], to break off before or at the end, to break to pieces, shiver (class.): ne caulis praefringatur, Cato, R. R. 33 (cited by Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 20): hastas, Liv. 8, 10; so, primam aciem telo, to break off the point of the missile, Just. 6, 8, 2: cornu galeae, Liv. 27, 33: praefracto rostro (triremis), Caes. B. C. 2, 6: praefracta strigilis, Lucil. ap. Gell. 3, 14, 10: praefracta ligna, Lucr. 1, 892.
Hence, praefractus, a, um, P. a.

  1. A. In rhet., broken, abrupt: Thucydides praefractior, Cic. Or. 13, 40.
  2. B. In character, stern, harsh, inflexible: Aristo Chius, praefractus, ferreus, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 155, 14: praefractior atque abscissior justitia, Val. Max. 6, 5 fin.: praefractius perseverantiae exemplum, sterner, firmer, id. 3, 8, ext. 3.
    Adv.: praefractē, sternly, inflexibly, resolutely: aerarium defendere, Cic. Off. 3, 22, 88 (Non. 155, 11, reads praefractum).
    Comp., Val. Max. 9, 7 fin.