dē-fīgo, xi, xum, 3, v. a., to fasten down or in; and with especial reference to the terminus, to drive, fix, or fasten into (class.). —
I Lit.: in campo Martio crucem ad civium supplicium defigi et constitui jubes, Cic. Rab. perd. 4; so, tigna machinationibus immissa in flumen, Caes. B. G. 4, 17, 4: sudes sub aqua, id. ib. 5, 18, 3: asseres in terra defigebantur, id. B. C. 2, 2; Liv. 44, 5: verutum in balteo, Caes. B. G. 5, 44, 7: sicam in consulis corpore, to thrust , Cic. Cat. 1, 6; cf.: cultrum in corde, Liv. 1, 58 fin. : tellure hastas, Verg. A. 12, 130; cf. id. ib. 6, 652: gladium superne jugulo, Liv. 1, 25; cf. Ov. M. 13, 436 al.: cruci defiguntur, Varr. ap. Non. 221, 13: arborem penitus terrae, Verg. G. 2, 290: te hodie, si prehendero, defigam in terram colaphis, Plaut. Pers. 2, 4, 22 (for which, shortly after, cruci affigere): morsus in aurem, Plin. 8, 12, 12, § 34: clavum percussum malleo in cerebrum, Vulg. Judic. 4, 21; Eccles. 12, 11. —
B Meton. (Causa pro effectu.) To fix, fasten, render immovable (rare): defixa caelo sidera, Hor. Epod. 17, 5; cf. Ov. M. 11, 76: defixere aciem in his vestigiis, have fixed them motionless , Tac. Agr. 34; cf.: defixi et Neronem intuentes, id. A. 13, 16: sedeo defixus, Plin. Ep. 9, 34, 1: me defixum in ora, etc., Prop. 1, 8, 15.—
C Esp. in phrase, manus defigere, to strike hands , i. e., to close a contract as surety, to pledge one's person , Vulg. Prov. 6, 1; 22, 26.—
II Trop.
A In gen., to fix, fasten; to turn intently in any direction: virtus est una altissimis defixa radicibus, Cic. Phil. 4, 5: oculos in vultu regis, Curt. 7, 8: iratos oculos in te, Ov. Am. 2, 18, 15: in alicujus possessiones oculos defigere, Cic. Phil. 11, 5, 10: oculos defigere in terram, Quint. 11, 3, 158; Curt. 9, 3.— Absol. : oculos, to let fall, cast down , Tac. A. 3, 1: Aeneas defixus lumina, Verg. A. 6, 156: animos in ea, quae perspicua sunt, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 15: disputare non vaganti oratione, sed defixa in una republica, id. Rep. 1, 11; cf.: in eo mentem orationemque defigit, id. de Or. 3, 8, 31: omnes suas curas in reip. salute, id. Phil. 14, 5, 13; id. Verr. 1, 3; cf. id. Prov. Cons. 4, 8.—
B In partic.
1 To strike motionless , sc. with astonishment, etc.; to stupefy, astound, astonish (not freq. till after the Aug. per.): utraque simul objecta res oculis animisque immobiles parumper eos defixit, Liv. 21, 33; so, aliquem, id. 3, 47; 6, 40 al.: silentium triste ita defixit omnium animos, ut, etc., Liv. 1, 29.—In the part. perf. : dum stupet obtutuque haeret defixus in uno, Verg. A. 1, 495; 6, 156; 7, 249; Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 14; Liv. 8, 7; Tac. A. 1, 68; 13, 5 et saep.—
2 Religious t. t. *
a To declare fixedly, firmly, unalterably : QVAE AVGVR VITIOSA, DIRA DEFIXERIT, IRRITA SVNTO, Cic. Leg. 2, 8 fin. —
b (Because, in making imprecations, the waxen image of him for whom destruction was to be prepared, or his name written in wax, was stuck through with a needle; cf. Ov. H. 6, 91 sq., and Voss upon Verg. E. 8, 80.) To bewitch, enchant; to curse any thing: caput alicujus dira imprecatione, Sen. Ben. 6, 35: defigi imprecationibus, Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 19: nomina cerā, Ov. Am. 3, 7, 29; cf.: DEFIXA NOMINA, Inscr. Orell. 3726: regis animum Iolchiacis votis, Verg. Cir. 376.—
3 To censure, reprove a thing: culpam, Pers. 5, 16.