pilum

Latin > English

pilum pili N N :: javelin, heavy iron-tipped throwing spear; pike
pilum pilum pili N N :: pestle, pounding tool; [~ graecum => mechanical pounder]

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

pīlum: i, n. for pis-lum, cf. piso, 1. pila, etc.,
I a pounder, pestle of a mortar.
I Lit.: pilum fabarium, Cato, R. R. 10; 18: quasi tollenonem aut pilum Graecum reciproces planā viā, a pounder, in using which, one side was raised while the other was depressed, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Fest. s v. reciprocare, p. 274 Müll.: pinsente pilo praeferrato, Plin. 18, 10, 23, § 97: pilo contusum, Vulg. Exod. 27, 20.—
II Transf., the heavy javelin of the Roman infantry, which they hurled at the enemy at the commencement of the action, and then took to their swords: (caput) adfixum gestari jussit in pilo, Cic. Phil. 11, 2, 5: pilum, haud paulo quam hasta, vehementius ictu missuque telum, Liv. 9, 19; cf. Veg. Mil. 2, 15: milites e loco superiore pilis missis facile hostium phalangem perfregerunt, Caes. B. G. 1, 25: pilorum hastarumque honore circumdatus, Plin. Pan. 56, 5: in imperatorem suum legiones pila torserunt, Sen. Ira, 3, 2, 4; cf. Tac. A. 15, 7: pilum praepilatum, having a blunt or rounded end, Auct. B. Afr. 72. They were also used in sieges, being hurled at the enemy from the walls; these were called pila muralia, Caes. B. G. 5, 40; Tac. A. 4, 51.—Prov.: pilum inicere alicui, to make an attack on one, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 43.—
   B Vis certe pila, i. e. to be primipilus of the triarii or veterans who carried two javelins each, Juv. 10, 94; v. Dict. of Antiq. p. 104.

Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)

(1) pīlum,¹⁰ ī, n., pilon : Cato Agr. 10, 5.
(2) pīlum, ī, n., pilum, javelot des soldats romains] : Cic. Phil. 11, 5 ; Cæs. G. 1, 25, etc. || [fig.] pilum injicere alicui Pl. Most. 570, porter une botte à qqn || [en part.] muralia pila Cæs. G. 5, 40, 6 ; pila muralia Cæs. G. 7, 82, 1, javelots de siège.

Latin > German (Georges)

(1) pīlum¹, ī, n. (piso, pinso), der Stempel zum Stampfen, die Mörserkeule, Cato u. Plin.
(2) pīlum², ī, n. (wohl aus *pigslom zu Wurzel pik, ritzen, stechen), das Pilum, der Wurfspieß des röm. Fußvolks, den es zu Beginn des Treffens auf den Feind warf; dann griff der Soldat sofort zum Schwerte, Cic. u. Liv. – bei Belagerungen als Wurfgeschoß aus der Stadt auf die Belagerer geschleudert, pila muralia, Caes.: Pila Horatia, die Wurfspieße der Horatier, eine Örtlichkeit am Forum in Rom, Liv. 1, 26, 10. Prop. 3, 3, 7. – Sprichw., pilum inicere alci, den Kampf eröffnen, Plaut. most. 570. – arch. Akk. Plur. peila, Lucil. 161.