Lewis & Short

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pignus, ŏris and ĕris (old form in plur.: pignosa pignora eodem modo quo valesii, auselii … dicebantur, Fest. p. 213 Müll.), n. [root pac-, of pango; cf. paciscor], a pledge, gage, pawn, security, mortgage (of persons as well as things).

  1. I. Lit.: opponere se pigneri, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 85: ager oppositus est pignori, Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 56: servus, quem hic reliqueram Pignus pro me, Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 19: quo facto pignore animos centurionum devinxit, Caes. B. C. 1, 39: rem alicujus pignori accipere, Tac. H. 3, 65: pignora apud se deposita persequi et vindicare, Paul. Sent. 5, 26, 4: sub pignoribus mutuas pecunias accipere, Dig. 13, 7, 12: habere aliquid pignori, ib. 20, 4, 2: liberare pignus a creditore, ib. 20, 4, 4: pignoribus cavere alicui, ib. 43, 3, 2: aurum pignori apud aliquem ponere, ib. 13, 7, 27: viginti milia faenus pignoribus positis, income from mortgages, Juv. 9, 141.
    Esp., of the security for the payment of his fine, which was taken by the consul of a senator who failed to attend in the Senate: pignus auferre, Cic. de Or. 3, 1, 4: pignoribus terreri, Crass. ib.; so, senatores pignoribus cogere, Cic. Phil. 1, 5, 12: pignora capere, Liv. 3, 38, 12; of hostages, id. 33, 22: marium pignora, male hostages, Suet. Aug. 21: pignus praetorium, the security which the prœtor took as a guarantee for the preservation of a thing when he put it in the possession of a creditor, or fidei commissarius, Dig. 13, 7, 26; 41, 5, 12.
      1. 2. Esp., in phrases.
          1. (α) Pignus capere, to take a pledge or security for payment: certis verbis pignus capiebatur, Gai. Inst. 4, 29; 26 al.
          2. (β) Pignora capere, to issue execution, make seizure of property: Vettium, pignoribus captis, cojecit in carcerem, Suet. Caes. 17: eorum, qui debita confessi sunt, pignora capi et distrahi possunt, Paul. Sent. 5, 5 A, 4: per vim debitoris sui pignora, cum non haberet obligata, capere, id. ib. 5, 26, 4.
          3. (γ) Pignoris capio, a proceeding by which the summary collection of certain debts was secured, Gai. Inst. 4, 26 (v. Sandars ad Just. Inst. introd. § 96).
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. The object of a wager, a wager, stake: da pignus, ni ea sit filia, lay a wager, bet, Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 34; so id. ib. 36: cum illo dare, id. Bacch. 4, 9, 133: pignore certare cum aliquo, Verg. E. 3, 31: quovis pignore contendere, to lay any wager, bet any thing, Cat. 44, 4: et quaerit posito pignore vincat uter, Ov. A. A. 1, 168: in quodvis pignus vocare, ni, etc., Gell. 5, 4, 2: ponere pignus cum aliquo de re aliquā, Val. Max. 4, 3, 3.
      2. 2. A contract in which security is given, Dig. 13, 7, 1; 20, 6, 3.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. A pledge, token, assurance, proof: magnum pignus ab eo rei publicae datum, se, etc., Cic. Phil. 1, 2, 4: pignora voluntatis, id. Cael. 32, 78: injuriae, id. Phil. 13, 3, 6: societatis, Tac. H. 4, 61: sceleris, id. ib. 4, 57: imperii, id. ib. 3, 72: reconciliatae gratiae pignus, Curt. 6, 7, 35: pignora da, genitor, per quae tua vera propago Credar, sure tokens, Ov. M. 2, 38; 5, 247; 7, 497: in vultu pignora mentis habet, id. A. A. 2, 378: digito pignus fortasse dedisti, i. e. a ring, Juv. 6, 27.
    2. B. Concr.
      1. 1. Children, parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, as pledges of love (only after the Aug. period): nunc tibi commendo communia pignora, natos, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 73; Ov. M. 11, 543: prolemque gemellam Pignora bina dedi, id. H. 6, 121: tot natos natasque et pignora cara nepotes, id. M. 3, 134: ascita pignora, Stat. S. 2, 1, 86: pignora conjugum ac liberorum, Liv. 2, 1, 5: obsecratio illa judicum, per carissima pignora, utique, si et reo sint liberi, conjux, parentes, utilis erit, Quint. 6, 1, 33: habens filiam, uxorem, nepotem, sorores, interque tot pignora veros amicos, Plin. Ep. 1, 12, 3; Tac. A. 12, 2: proxima pignora, id. ib. 15, 36: ne in conjugem, in familiam, in cetera pignora ejus saeviret, id. ib. 16, 26; id. G. 7: frangi aspectu pignorum suorum, id. Agr. 38.
        Hence, in gen.,
      2. 2. Any thing especially valuable or dear: si quis post pignera tanta Pompeio locus est, Luc. 7, 376.
      3. 3. Poet. transf., a graft, scion, Pall. Insit. 109.