vulnus (voln-), ĕris, n. [root vul-; cf. vultur; akin to vello], a wound (cf.: ictus, cicatrix).
- I. Lit.: cave faxit volnus tibi jam, Plaut. Truc. 5, 51: qui abstergerem volnera? Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 9: vulnus in latere, Cic. Mil. 24, 65: multis et illatis et acceptis vulneribus, Caes. B. G. 1, 50; so, inferre, id. B. C. 2, 6: accipere, id. B. G. 1, 48: claudicare ex vulnere ob rem publicam accepto, Cic. de Or. 2, 61, 249: sustinere, Caes. B. C. 1, 45: excipere, Cic. Sest. 10, 23: alicui infligere, id. Phil. 2, 21, 52: vulneribus defessus, Caes. B. G. 1, 25: gravi vulnere ictus, Liv. 2, 47, 2: vulneribus confectus, id. 24, 26, 14: ego factum modo vulnus habebo, Ov. Am. 1, 2, 30: facile ex volnere est recreatus, Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154.
- B. Transf., of things, a wound, i. e. a hole, cut, incision, notch, rent, crack (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): vulneribus donec paulatim evicta (ornus) supremum Congemuit, Verg. A. 2, 630; cf. Ov. M. 9, 383; 14, 392; Juv. 6, 247; Plin. 19, 8, 41, § 142: aratri, Ov. M. 2, 286.
- II. Trop., a wound, blow, misfortune, calamity, defeat: fortunae gravissimo percussus vulnere, Cic. Ac. 1, 3, 4; Luc. 8, 72: hoc tam gravi vulnere etiam illa, quae consanuisse videbantur, recrudescunt, Cic. Fam. 4, 6, 2: quae hic rei publicae vulnera imponebat, eadem ille sanabat, id. Fin. 4, 24, 66: vulnera imposita provinciae sanare, id. Att. 5, 17, 6: inusta rei publicae (with scelera), id. Sest. 7, 17: non vulnus super vulnus, sed multiplex clades, Liv. 22, 54, 9 Weissenb. ad loc.
Esp., in the phrase vulnus accipere, to be defeated, to suffer great loss, Just. 1, 8, 10; 2, 11, 19; cf. id. 42, 4, 10.
Of pain, grief, sorrow, Lucr. 2, 639; Verg. A. 12, 160; Ov. M. 5, 426.
Of the wounds of love, Lucr. 1, 34; Prop. 2, 22 (3, 15), 7; 2, 25 (3, 20), 46; Verg. A. 4, 2; Hor. C. 1, 27, 12; id. Epod. 11, 17: dulcia vulnera sagittae, App. M. 4, p. 156, 29.