perfringo — Lewis & Short
perfringo, frēgi, fractum, 3, v. a.perfrango,
I to break through, to break or dash in pieces, to shiver, shatter (class.).
I Lit.
A In gen.:
elephanto pugno perfregisti bracchium,Plaut. Mil. 1, 1, 26:
jumenta ingredientia nivem ... jactandis gravius in connitendo ungulis penitus perfringebant,broke through, Liv. 21, 36, 8:
saxo perfracto capite,his skull fractured by a stroke of a stone, id. 4, 28 fin.:
tempora fulvo protecta capillo,Ov. M. 12, 274:
perfracto saxo sortes erupisse,Cic. Div. 2, 41, 85:
Olympum fulmine,Ov. M. 1, 154:
nucem,Plin. 10, 12, 14, § 30:
aliquid,Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 12:
munitiones,Caes. B. G. 7, 85:
tabulationem,id. B. C. 2, 9:
naves perfregerant proras, litori illisas,had been wrecked, Liv. 22, 20.—
B In partic., to break or burst through, to force one's way through any obstacle:
hostium phalangem,Caes. B. G. 1, 25:
aciem,Sil. 9, 362:
muros,Tac. H. 3, 20:
domos,to break into, id. ib. 4, 1.—
II Trop.
A To break through, violate, infringe:
decreta senatūs,Cic. Mil. 32, 87:
leges,id. Cat. 1, 7, 18:
ac prosternere omnia cupiditate ac furore,id. Clu. 6, 15.—
B To break or burst through: omnia repagula juris, pudoris et officii perfringere. Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 15, § 39:
perfringere et labefactare tantam conspirationem bonorum omnium,id. Cat. 4, 10, 22:
animos suavitate,to affect powerfully, id. Brut. 9, 38.—Absol.:
haec (eloquentia) modo perfringit, modo irrepit in sensus,Cic. Or. 28, 97.