Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

1. parma (or in the collat. form pal-ma, Tib. 1, 9, 82; and so many MSS. in Prop. 2, 19, 44 (3, 20, 8); 4 (5), 10, 40; Liv. 22, 1, 9), ae (old gen. parmaï, Lucr. 4, 847), f., = πάρμη, a small, round shield, a target, carried by the light infantry and the cavalry.

  1. I. Lit.: configunt parmam, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 3 (Ann. v. 432 Vahl.); Varr. ap. Non. 552, 30: desiliunt ex equis, provolant in primum agmen et pro antesignanis parmas obiciunt, Liv. 2, 20; 2, 6, 9; 31, 35 fin.: hic miles (veles) tripedalem parmam habet, id. 38, 21 fin.; 26, 4; Sall. Fragm. ap. Non. 554, 23: picta fulgebat, Prop. 4, 10, 21.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. In gen., a shield (poet.): (Pallas) parmamque ferens hastamque trementem, Verg. A. 2, 175; 11, 693; Mart. 9, 21, 10.
    2. B. A gladiator armed with a parma, a Threx (v. Threx) (poet.), Mart. 9, 69, 8.
    3. C. The valve in a pair of bellows, Aus. Idyll. 10, 267.