I.acc. sing. do not occur, and the sing. in gen. very rarely; Neue, Formenl. 1, p. 476), n., a lash, whip, scourge, rod (syn.: scutica, flagrum),
I. Lit. (rare; perh. not in Cic., but cf. in II. B.).
(α).
Plur.: Tr. Quid me fiet nunc jam? Th. Verberibus caedere, lutum, pendens, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 45: “verberibus caedere,” id. Pers. 2, 3, 17; Ter. And. 1, 2, 28: “adulescentem nudari jubet verberaque adferri,” Liv. 8, 28, 4: “verbera saetosa movebat arator,” Prop. 4 (5), 1, 25. Verg. A. 5, 147; Quint. Decl. 19, 3.—
(β).
Sing.: “illi instant verbere torto,” Verg. G. 3, 106: “Phoebus equos stimuloque domans et verbere Saevit,” Ov. M. 2, 399: “conscendit equos Gradivus et ictu Verberis increpuit,” id. ib. 14, 821: “pecora verbere domantur,” Sen. Const. 12, 3; “of a top: volitans sub verbere turbo,” Verg. A. 7, 378.—
II. Transf.
A. Concr., a thong of a sling and other similar missile weapons (poet.; “syn. lorum),” Verg. G. 1, 309; Sil. 1, 314; Luc. 3, 469.—
B. Abstr., a lashing, scourging, flogging, etc. (class.; syn. plaga).
1. Lit.
(α).
Plur.: “dignus es verberibus multis,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 71: “tibi erunt parata verba, huic homini verbera,” Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 115: “mitto vincla, mitto carcerem, mitto verbera, mitto secures,” Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 24, § 59: “aliquem vinculis ac verberibus atque omni supplicio excruciare,” id. Imp. Pomp. 5, 11; id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; id. Rep. 1, 38, 59; 2, 37, 62; id. Fin. 5, 20, 55; id. Tusc. 3, 27, 64; XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 6; Quint. 1, 3, 15; 4, 2, 113; 11, 1, 40; 11, 3, 90; 11, 3, 117; Hor. S. 1, 3, 121: “cum positā stares ad verbera veste,” Ov. Am. 1, 6, 19: “saeva,” id. ib. 1, 13, 18: “tergum foedum vestigiis verberum,” Liv. 2, 23, 7: “post verbere,” Stat. Th. 2, 143; 2, 172.—
b. Of inanim. things, a stripe, stroke, blow (mostly poet.).
(α).
Plur.: “turgentis caudae,” Hor. S. 2, 7, 49: “ventorum,” Lucr. 5, 957; 6, 115: “radiorum (solis),” id. 5, 485; 5, 1104: “aquarum,” Claud. Laud. Stil. 1, 288.—Of the strokes of oars: “puppis Verberibus senis agitur,” Luc. 3, 536; Sil. 11, 493; cf. Ov. H. 18, 23.—
(β).
Sing.: “remorum in verbere perstant,” Ov. M. 3, 662: “trementes Verbere ripae,” Hor. C. 3, 27, 24: “adverso siderum,” Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 33.—
2. Trop., plur., lashes, strokes: “contumeliarum verbera subire,” Cic. Rep. 1, 5, 9: “verbera linguae,” i. e. chidings, Hor. C. 3, 12, 3 (cf.: “verberari verbis, convicio, etc., under verbero): fortunae verbera,” the strokes of fate, Gell. 13, 27, 4.