Refringo, refringis, refrégi, pen. prod. refractum, refríngere. Plaut.To breake open.Reftingere portas. Cæs. Refringere carcerem.Liu.To breake prison.Aditus refringere.Val. Flac.To enter by violence.Domos refringere.Val. Flac.Discordia refregit hostes. Hor. Discord weakened the power of the enemies.Refringere & hebetare vnguium mucronem. Pli. To break and dul the point of their talents. Refringere vim forrunæ, per translationem.Liu.To abate the power of fortune.Claustra no bilitatis refringere. Ci. To breake open % stops and lets of nobilitie of birth, and make way of promotion by vertne and wisedome.Gloriam alicuius refringere. Ci. To abate aud diminishe ones praise and renowme.Opes alicuius refringere. Propert. Radius in solem refringitur. Plin. The sun beame is beatÊ backe by reflection.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
rē-fringo, frēgi, fractum, 3, v. a. [frango], to break up, break open (class.; syn.: perfringo, dissicio). I.Lit.: cellas, Plaut. Capt. 4, 4, 10: postes portasque, Enn. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 7, 622, and ap. Hor. S. 1, 4, 61 (Ann. v. 271 Vahl.); Caes. B. G. 2, 33; Liv. 10, 43; 24, 30; 25, 9 et saep. al.: januam, Tac. A. 14, 8: palatii fores, id. H. 1, 35: claustra, Cic. Mur. 8, 17; Val. Fl. 1, 595: carcerem, Liv. 34, 44 fin.: glaebam et revolvere in pulverem, Col. 11, 2, 60: totas refringere vestes,
to tear open
, Ov. M. 9, 208: radium solis refringi,
is refracted
, Plin. 2, 59, 60, 150.—B. In gen., to break, break in pieces, break off (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): quae demersa liquore obeunt, refracta videntur Omnia convorti sursumque supina revorti, Lucr. 4, 440: refringit virgulta pede vago, Cat. 63, 86: ramum, to break off, Verg. A. 6, 210; so, mucronem, Plin. 8, 15, 17, 41; cf. aculeos, Plin. Ep. 3, 15, 3: silvas (Hyleus), Stat. Th. 4, 139. — II.Trop., to break, break in pieces, check, weaken, destroy, etc.: vim fluminis, Caes. B. G. 7, 56; cf. Liv. 5, 37: impotentem dominationem, Nep. Lys. 1, 4; cf.: Teutonicas opes, Frop. 3, 3 (4, 2), 44: nec Priami domus Achivos refringit, Hor. C. 3, 3, 28: ingeniorum impetus, Plin. Ep. 9, 26, 7: claustra pudoris et reverentiae, id. ib. 2, 14, 4: verba, to mutilate or mangle speech, like children, Stat. S. 2, 1, 123.