Carcer, cárceris, pen. corr. m. g. Liu.A pryson.Scelerum vindex carcer.Cic.Ianitor carceris.Cic.The keeper: the iaylor.Vincula carceri rumpere.Cic.Cæcus carcer.Virg.A darke pryson.Dirus carcer. Sen. Mœstus.Ouid.That maketh men sad.Niger. Iuuenal. Reuulsus. Claud. Ruseicus. Iuuenal. Sollicitus. Ouid.Squallidus.Ouid. Tênebrosus. Lucan. Asseruare in carcere.Liu.Attineri carcere. Tac. To be kept in.Condi in carcerem.Cic.To be layed vp in.Conijci in carcerem.Cic. Cubare in carcere. Plaut.Deducere aliquem in carcerem.Cic.Duci in carcerem illos iubet.Cic.Effundere carcerem.Cic.To let lose prysoness.Enussus è carcere.Cic.Deliuered out.Frænare carcere.Virg.To restrayne.Includere in carcerem.Cic.Laxari carcere. Claud. To be deliuered.Mittere in carcerem.Cic.To impryson. Carcer, homo per metaphoram. Ter. A naughty fellow. Carceres, tantum pluraliter.Cic.The place from which the rase is taken in running.Soluti carceres.Stat. Dimitti carceribus. Stat.Effundere sele carceribus.Virg.Exire è carceribus.Cic. A carceribus ad calcem, Id est principio ad finem.Cic.A carceribus ad metas. Varro. Idem.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
carcer, ĕris, m. [Sicilian ka/rkaron; cf. O. Müll. Etrusk. 1, p. 13; etym. dub.; cf. scrinium], an enclosed place; hence, I.A prison, jail (syn.: custodia, vincula): si tresviri me in carcerem conpegerint, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 3; id. Poen. 3, 3, 79; Lucr. 3, 1016; Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 9, 22 sq.; Liv. 6, 36, 112 al.: carcer, quem vindicem scelerum majores nostri esse voluerunt, Cic. Cat. 2, 12, 27. A.Poet., of the custody of the winds, Verg. A. 1, 54; Ov. M. 4, 663; 14, 224; id. F. 2, 456; and of the lower world: carcer inferorum, Sen. Herc. Fur. 1222: Ditis, Luc. 6, 797.—Trop., of the chains of the body: qui ex corporum vinculis tamquam e carcere evolaverunt, Cic. Rep. 6, 14, 14; so id. Tusc. 1, 30, 74; Luc. 6, 721.—B. Esp., the Roman State-prison, close to the Forum, at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, on the right of the Sacra Via, built by Ancus Marcius, Liv. 1, 33, 8; extended under ground by Servius Tullius; hence this part of the prison is called Tullianum.Varr. L. L. 5, 151, p. 42 Bip.; Cic. Sull. 25, 70; Sall. C. 55, 3; Liv. 1, 33, 8; Tac. A. 3, 51 al.; cf.: in inferiorem demissus carcerem, Liv. 34, 44, 8: in carcerem conditi, id. 29, 22, 7; cf. also Fest. p. 356 Müll., and Becker. Antiq. 1, 262 sq.; v. also Tullianum and robur, II. A.—C.Meton.a.The imprisoned criminals: in me carcerem effudistis, Cic. Pis. 7, 16.—b. As a term of reproach ( = carcerarius), jail-bird, scapegallows: carcer vix carcere dignus, Lucil. ap. Don. Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 26; Ter. Phorm. l. l.—II.The barrier or starting-place in the race-course (opp. meta or calx; v. h. vv.); usu. in plur., carceres, Varr. L. L. 5, 153 Müll.; Lucr. 2, 264; 4, 990; Cic. Brut. 47, 173; Verg. G. 1, 512; Hor. S. 1, 1, 114 al. —In sing. (mostly poet.), Enn. Ann. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 48, 107 (v. 88 Vahl.); Tib. 1, 4, 32 (imitated by Ov. H. 18, 166); Auct. Her. 4, 3, 4; Verg. G. 3, 104; id. A. 5, 145 Serv.; Ov. M. 10, 652; id. Tr. 5, 9, 29; 5, 12, 26; Suet. Caes. 21; Stat. Th. 6, 522.—B.Trop., the commencement, beginning, of a course of action or of a condition: a quibus carceribus decurrat ad metas, Varr. R. R. 1, 3; so id. ib. 2, 7, 1: ad carceres a calce revocari, i.e.
to begin life anew
, Cic. Sen. 23, 83; cf.: cum aequalibus, quibus cum tamquam e carceribus emissus sis, id. Lael. 27, 101.