Pignus, pígnoris, vel pígneris, pen. cor. n. g. Vlpian. A guage or pledge giuen for suretie of debt or rent: a thing strained for rent. A paune in a wager. A token: a sure signe or teimonie of loue or friendship.Dare pignus cum aliquo, Vide Do, das.To laye downe a pawne or guage against one.Ponere pignori. Plaur. To lay in guage or pledge.Obligare aliquid pignori. Vlpia. To lay in pledge or guage for suretie of debt.Pignori opponere.Terent.To lay to guage.Aratrum accipere pignori non licet. Quin. A man may not take to guage, or may not cease or straine ones plough in way of distresse.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
pignus, ŏris and ĕris (old form in plur.: pignosa pignora eodem modo quo valesii, auselii ... dicebantur, Fest. p. 213 Müll.), n. [root pac-, of pango; cf. paciscor], a pledge, gage, pawn, security, mortgage (of persons as well as things). I.Lit.: opponere se pigneri, Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 85: ager oppositus est pignori, Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 56: servus, quem hic reliqueram Pignus pro me, Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 19: quo facto pignore animos centurionum devinxit, Caes. B. C. 1, 39: rem alicujus pignori accipere, Tac. H. 3, 65: pignora apud se deposita persequi et vindicare, Paul. Sent. 5, 26, 4: sub pignoribus mutuas pecunias accipere, Dig. 13, 7, 12: habere aliquid pignori, ib. 20, 4, 2: liberare pignus a creditore, ib. 20, 4, 4: pignoribus cavere alicui, ib. 43, 3, 2: aurum pignori apud aliquem ponere, ib. 13, 7, 27: viginti milia faenus pignoribus positis,
income from mortgages
, Juv. 9, 141.—Esp., of the security for the payment of his fine, which was taken by the consul of a senator who failed to attend in the Senate: pignus auferre, Cic. de Or. 3, 1, 4: pignoribus terreri, Crass. ib.; so, senatores pignoribus cogere, Cic. Phil. 1, 5, 12: pignora capere, Liv. 3, 38, 12; of hostages, id. 33, 22: marium pignora,
male hostages
, Suet. Aug. 21: pignus praetorium, the security which the prœtor took as a guarantee for the preservation of a thing when he put it in the possession of a creditor, or fidei commissarius, Dig. 13, 7, 26; 41, 5, 12.—2. Esp., in phrases. (a). Pignus capere, to take a pledge or security for payment: certis verbis pignus capiebatur, Gai. Inst. 4, 29; 26 al.—(b). Pignora capere, to issue execution, make seizure of property: Vettium, pignoribus captis, cojecit in carcerem, Suet. Caes. 17: eorum, qui debita confessi sunt, pignora capi et distrahi possunt, Paul. Sent. 5, 5 A, 4: per vim debitoris sui pignora, cum non haberet obligata, capere, id. ib. 5, 26, 4.—(g). Pignoris capio, a proceeding by which the summary collection of certain debts was secured, Gai. Inst. 4, 26 (v. Sandars ad Just. Inst. introd. 96).—B.Transf.1.The object of a wager, a wager, stake: da pignus, ni ea sit filia,
lay a wager
,
bet
, Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 34; so id. ib. 36: cum illo dare, id. Bacch. 4, 9, 133: pignore certare cum aliquo, Verg. E. 3, 31: quovis pignore contendere,
to lay any wager
,
bet any thing
, Cat. 44, 4: et quaerit posito pignore vincat uter, Ov. A. A. 1, 168: in quodvis pignus vocare, ni, etc., Gell. 5, 4, 2: ponere pignus cum aliquo de re aliquā, Val. Max. 4, 3, 3.— 2.A contract in which security is given, Dig. 13, 7, 1; 20, 6, 3.—II.Trop.A.A pledge, token, assurance, proof: magnum pignus ab eo rei publicae datum, se, etc., Cic. Phil. 1, 2, 4: pignora voluntatis, id. Cael. 32, 78: injuriae, id. Phil. 13, 3, 6: societatis, Tac. H. 4, 61: sceleris, id. ib. 4, 57: imperii, id. ib. 3, 72: reconciliatae gratiae pignus, Curt. 6, 7, 35: pignora da, genitor, per quae tua vera propago Credar,
sure tokens
, Ov. M. 2, 38; 5, 247; 7, 497: in vultu pignora mentis habet, id. A. A. 2, 378: digito pignus fortasse dedisti, i. e.
a ring
, Juv. 6, 27.—B. Concr. 1.Children, parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, as pledges of love (only after the Aug. period): nunc tibi commendo communia pignora, natos, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 73; Ov. M. 11, 543: prolemque gemellam Pignora bina dedi, id. H. 6, 121: tot natos natasque et pignora cara nepotes, id. M. 3, 134: ascita pignora, Stat. S. 2, 1, 86: pignora conjugum ac liberorum, Liv. 2, 1, 5: obsecratio illa judicum, per carissima pignora, utique, si et reo sint liberi, conjux, parentes, utilis erit, Quint. 6, 1, 33: habens filiam, uxorem, nepotem, sorores, interque tot pignora veros amicos, Plin. Ep. 1, 12, 3; Tac. A. 12, 2: proxima pignora, id. ib. 15, 36: ne in conjugem, in familiam, in cetera pignora ejus saeviret, id. ib. 16, 26; id. G. 7: frangi aspectu pignorum suorum, id. Agr. 38.—Hence, in gen., 2.Any thing especially valuable or dear: si quis post pignera tanta Pompeio locus est, Luc. 7, 376.—3.Poet. transf., a graft, scion, Pall. Insit. 109.