Perseus · Tufts
Perseus Home Page
Collections: Classics · Papyri · Renaissance · London · California · Upper Midwest · Chesapeake · Boyle · Tufts History
Configure display · Help · Tools · Copyright · FAQ · Publications · Collaborations · Support Perseus

Lewis & Short Latin Dictionary
Perseus is changing! Please visit Perseus 4.0 for the latest version.
New Search
e-mail us | copyright statement.
If you would not be reading Latin without access to these on-line texts and lexicon, please tell us about it. This page was made possible by support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation.
Previous: catellus catenaNext: catenarius
CorpusWordsMax. Inst.Freq./10KMin. Inst.Freq./10K
Latin Texts34051211480.43990.29
Click on a number in the Max. Inst. column to search for this word in that group of texts.Click on a number in the Freq./10K column for a more detailed frequency table.

Words With Similar Definitions
Latin1: pedica 2: compes 3: fibula 4: Synaristosae 5: canentas
Greek1: zeugma 2: sunektikos 3: paremplastikos 4: duadikos 5: kosmoplokos
Click here to see more Latin and Greek results.Click on a word to see its definitionClick here for help with this tool.

catêna, ae, f. (once with num. distrib. as piur. tantum: trinis catenis vinctus, Caes. B. G. 1.53) [Sanscr. kat, to fall away; cf. catax].

I. A wooden bracket, brace, etc., for holding two beams together, Cato, R. R. 18, 9; Vitr. 7, 3; Pall. 1, 3, 1.--

II. A chain,

A. Used as a fetter, shackle, etc.; usu. in plur. (syn. vincula): catenis vincire aliquem, Plaut. Men. 1.1.3; Ov. M. 15.601 al.: catenas indere alicui, Plaut. Capt. 1.2.3: in catenas conicere aliquem, Caes. B. G. 1.47; Liv. 29, 21, 2: catenas inicere alicui, Cic. Verr. 2.5.41.§ 106: in catenis aliquem Romam mittere, Liv. 29, 21, 12: in catenis aliquem per urbem ducere, id. 45, 40, 6: eximere se ex catenis, Plaut. Men. 1.1.8: rumpere catenas, Hor. S. 2, 7, 71: catenas alicui exsolvere, Tac. H. 3, 31 al.--In sing., Liv. 24, 34, 10; Cat. 64.297; Verg. A. 6.558; Hor. S. 1, 5, 65; Curt. 4, 3, 22; 7, 5, 36; Tac. A. 4, 28; 6, 14; Suet. Aug. 94; Sen. Ep. 9, 8; Plin. 34, 15, 43, § 150.--

2. Of a chain stopping the entrance of a harbor: catena ferrea valde robusta, Amm. 26, 8, 8.--

3. Trop., a constraint, fetter, barrier, bond: taetra belua, constricta legum sacratarum catenis, Cic. Sest. 7.16: compesce animum frenis, catenâ, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 63: validâ teneamur catenâ, Tib. 4, 5, 15; 4, 1, 117: splendidiore nunc eos catenâ sed multo graviore vinctos esse, quam cum, etc., Liv. 35, 38, 10: qui ad superiora progressus est.. laxam catenam trahit nondum liber, Sen. Vit. Beat. 16, 3; id. Tranq. 10, 3.--

B. A chain of gold or silver worn by women as an ornament, Plin. 33, 3, 12, § 40; Paul. Sent. 3, 6, 84.--

C. A series of things connected together, a chain, series, Lucr. 6, 910 (but id. 2, 630, is a false reading for quod armis; v. Lachm.).--

D. Trop.: (praecepta oratoria) in catenas ligare, Quint. 5, 14, 32.