practise outrageous usury

flăgello, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [flagellum], to whip, scourge, lash ( poet. and in postAug. prose).

Lit.:

quaestorem suum in conjuratione nominatum flagellavit,

Suet. Calig. 26:

aliquem manu sua,

id. ib. 55; id. Claud. 38:

canes extremis polypi crinibus,

Plin. 9, 30, 48, § 92:

terga caudā (leo),

id. 8, 16, 19, § 49; cf.:

arborem caudā (serpens),

Ov. M. 3, 94:

messem perticis,

to thresh out, Plin. 18, 30, 72, § 298:

serpentes sese interimunt flagellando,

id. 25, 8, 55, § 101.— Absol.:

in tergum flagellat,

Quint. 11, 3, 118.—

Transf.:

flagellent colla comae,

beat, dangle against his face, Mart. 4, 42, 7:

sertaque mixta comis sparsa cervice flagellat,

i. e. shakes, Stat. Th. 10, 169; cf. id. ib. 3, 36:

flagellatus aër,

Plin. 2, 45, 45, § 116:

si puteal multa cautus vibice flagellas,

i. e. practise outrageous usury, Pers. 4, 49: cujus laxas arca flagellat opes, presses down, i. e. encloses, Mart. 2, 30, 4; 5, 13, 6; cf.: prout aliquis praevalens manceps annonam flagellet, keeps back commodities, i.e. maintains them at too high a price, Plin. 33, 13, 57, § 164.