truncŭlus

lā̆truncŭlus, i, m. dim. [2. latro].

A highwayman, robber, freebooter, brigand:

mastrucati latrunculi,

Cic. Prov. Cons. 7, 15:

hostes sunt, quibus bellum publice populus Romanus decrevit, vel ipsi populo Romano, ceteri latrunculi vel praedones appellantur,

Dig. 49, 15, 24 (cf. the passage from Dig. 50, 16, 118, where the word latrones is used;

v. 2. latro, II.): a latrunculis vel hostibus,

ib. 39, 5, 34.—Of the usurper of a throne, Vop. Firm. 2, 1.—

A man, pawn, in draughts or chess. latrunculis ludimus, Sen. Ep. 106, 11; Varr. L. L. 10, § 22 Müll.; Plin. 8, 54, 80, § 215.

truncus, a, um, adj [root tark-, truc-, to break, tear; cf. torqueo], maimed, mutilated, mangled, dismembered, disfigured, deprived of some of its parts (mostly poet. and perh. not ante-Aug.; syn.: mutilus, mancus).

Lit.:

trunca manu pinus regit (Polyphemum),

i. e. the trunk of a pinetree, Verg. A. 3, 659:

trunca illa et retorrida manus Mucii,

Sen. Ep. 66, 51:

nemora,

i. e. trees stripped of their branches, Stat. Th. 4, 455:

truncas mhonesto vulnere nares,

Verg. A. 6, 497:

vultus naribus auribusque,

Mart. 2, 83, 3:

frons,

deprived of its horn, Ov. M. 9, 1; 9, 86; Sil. 3, 42:

frontem lumina truncam,

deprived of its eyes, id. 9, 400:

bracchia non habuit, truncoque repandus in undas Corpore desiluit,

deprived of its limbs, Ov. M. 3, 680; cf. Just. 2, 9, 19:

puerum trunci corporis in agro Romano natum,

Liv. 41, 9, 5:

varie ex integris truncos gigni, ex truncis integros,

Plin. 7, 11, 10, § 50:

tela,

i.e. broken in pieces, Verg. A. 11, 9; cf.:

trunci enses et fractae hastae,

Stat. Th. 2, 711:

truncum lignum, i. e. hasta fracta,

Val. Fl. 6, 251: membra carmae, Ov M. 11, 560; cf.

alnus,

without oars, Val. Fl. 2, 300:

truncae atque mutilae litterae,

Gell. 17, 9, 12:

exta,

Val. Max. 1, 6, 9.—

Poet., with gen.:

animalia trunca pedum,

without feet, Verg. G. 4, 310: truncus capitis, Sil 10, 311.—

Transf.

Of things, not developed, imperfect, or wanting in their parts:

quaedam imperfecta (animalia) suisque Trunca vident numeris,

Ov. M. 1, 428:

ranae pedibus,

id. ib. 15, 376:

ipse (nanus) jactabat truncas manus,

Prop. 4 (5), 8, 42—

Of members cut off:

bracchia,

Val. Fl. 4, 181:

manus,

Sen. Contr 1, 4.—

Trop., maimed, mutilated:

(Capua) urbs trunca, sine senatu, sine plebe, sine magistratibus,

Liv. 31, 29, 11:

pecus,

without a leader, Stat. Th. 5, 333:

manus vero, sine quibus trunca esset actio ac debilis, vix dici potest, quot motus habeant,

Quint. 11, 3, 85:

trunca et debilis medicina (sine rerum naturae cognitione), Cels. praef.: sermo (volucrum),

Stat. Th. 12, 478:

trunca quaedam ex Menandro,

fragments, Gell. 2, 23, 21.—Hence, subst.:

truncus, i, m., the stem, stock, bole, or trunk of a tree (without regard to its branches).

Lit.:

cibus... Per truncos ac per ramos diffunditur omnes,

Lucr. 1, 353:

quid? in arboribus, in quibus non truncus, non rami, non folia sunt denique, nisi, etc.,

Cic. de Or. 3, 46, 179; cf. id. Sen. 15, 52; id. N. D. 2, 47, 120; id. Lael. 13, 48; Caes. B. G. 4, 17; 7, 73, Verg. G. 2, 78; 3, 233; Hor S. 1, 8, 1; id. C. 2, 17, 27; 3, 4, 55; Ov. M. 2, 358; 8, 346; id. H. 9, 93; Col. Arb. 17, 1; Sen. Ep. 86, 17.—

Transf.

Of the human body, the trunk, the body, apart from the limbs:

status erectus et celsus, nullā mollitiā cervicum: trunco magis toto se ipse moderans,

Cic. Or. 18, 59:

nemo illum ex trunco corporis spectabat,

id. Rosc. Com. 10, 28:

recto pugnat se attollere trunco,

Ov. M. 2, 822; cf. id. ib. 7, 640:

et caput abscisum calido viventeque trunco,

Lucr. 3, 654: jacet litore truncus. Verg. A. 2, 557.—

Of a column.

The shaft, Vitr. 4, 1 med. —

The cubical trunk of a pedestal, the die or dado, Vitr. 3, 3; cf. Plin. 16, 40, 76, § 201.—

A piece cut off, as a branch of a tree for an our:

frondentes,

Val. Fl. 8, 287;

a piece of flesh for smoking (cf. trunculus),

Verg. M. 57.—

Like caudex, stipes, and the Engl. stock, for blockhead, dunce, dolt:

quī potest esse in ejusmodi trunco sapientia?

Cic. N. D. 1, 30, 84:

tamquam truncus atque stipes,

id. Pis. 9, 19. —

Trop., a trunk, stem:

quae (stirpes aegritudinis) ipso trunco everso omnes eligendae (elidendae, Kühn.) sunt,

Cic. Tusc. 3, 34, 83.