fĕrus, a, um, adj. [cf. Gr. θήρ, Aeol. φήρ; Lat. ferox, etc.; v. ferio], wild, untamed.
I Lit., of animals and plants.
A Adj. (syn. immanis, opp. cicur): quae vero et quam varia genera bestiarum vel cicurum vel ferarum! Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 99; cf.: si hoc apparet in bestiis, volucribus, nantibus, agrestibus, cicuribus, feris, id. Lael. 21, 81: apes (opp. cicures), Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 19: immanes et ferae beluae, Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 161: fera et immanis belua, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 34, 108; Nep. Dat. 3, 2; Curt. 5, 4, 19; Suet. Aug. 67: leones, Hor. Epod. 7, 12: equus, id. S. 1, 5, 57: caprae, Verg. A. 4, 152: palumbus, Plin. 30, 7, 20, § 60 et saep.: arbores, Plin. 14, 20, 25, § 127: oliva, Stat. Th. 6, 7: fructus, Verg. G. 2, 36: odor (with solitudinem redolens), disagreeable , Plin. 12, 17, 37, § 76.—
B Subst.
1 fĕrus , i, m., a wild animal , wild beast (poet.); a lion , Phaedr. 1, 21, 8; a boar , id. 4, 4, 3; a horse , Verg. A. 2, 51; 5, 818; a stag , id. ib. 7, 489; a serpent , Sil. 6, 268.—
2 fĕra , ae (sc. bestia), f., a wild animal , wild beast (class.): immani et vastae insidens beluae, quocumque vult, inflectit illam feram, Cic. Rep. 2, 40; cf. id. Rosc. Am. 26, 71: neque ulla re longius absumus a natura ferarum, id. Off. 1, 16, 50: ipsae ferae nullo insequente saepe incidunt (in plagas), id. ib. 3, 17, 68: multa in ea (silva Hercynia) genera ferarum nasci constat, Caes. B. G. 6, 25 fin. : neque homini neque ferae parcunt, id. ib. 6, 28, 2: formidolosae dum latent silvis ferae, Hor. Epod. 5, 55: more ferarum, id. S. 1, 3, 109: Romulea fera, the she-wolf that suckled Romulus , Juv. 11, 104; a sea-monster , Ov. M. 4, 713; 719; a serpent , Hyg. Astr. 2, 42; the ant , Mart. 6, 15, 2; the constellations of the Great and Little Bear : magna minorque ferae, Ov. Tr. 4, 3, 1; Vulg. Gen. 37, 20.— Prov.: ferae inter se placidae sunt, morsuque similium abstinent, Sen. de lra, 2, 8, 3.—
II Transf., of places (syn. incultus): in locis feris arbores plura ferunt, in his, quae sunt culta, meliora, wild , uncultivated , Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 7; cf.: ferus, ager incultus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 86 Müll.: montes, Verg. E. 5, 28: silvae, Hor. S. 2, 6, 92.—
III Trop., wild , rude , uncultivated; savage , barbarous , fierce , cruel (syn.: immanis, agrestis, inhumanus; opp. mansuetus, humanus): ipsis in hominibus nulla gens est neque tam mansueta neque tam fera, quae non, etc., Cic. Leg. 1, 8, 24; cf.: nulla gens tam fera, nemo omnium tam immanis, cujus, etc., id. Tusc. 1, 13, 30; id. Phil. 3, 9, 23: ex feris et immanibus mites reddidit et mansuetos, id. Inv. 1, 2, 2; id. Verr. 2, 2, 21, § 51: ferus atque agrestis, id. Rosc. Am. 27, 74: inhumani ac feri testes, id. Rep. 1, 37 fin. ; cf. Ter. And. 278: ferus et ferreus, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 3: quam ferus et vere ferreus ille fuit! Tib. 1, 10, 2; v. ferreus: nemo adeo ferus est, ut non mitescere possit, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 39: Britanni hospitibus feri, id. C. 3, 4, 33: Numantia, id. ib. 2, 12, 1: Iberia, id. ib. 4, 5, 27: animi hominum, studiis bellandi jam immanes ac feri, Cic. Rep. 2, 14; id. Fragm. ap. Non. 342, 33 (Rep. 2, 23 ed. Mos.): ingenium immansuetum ferumque, Ov. M. 15, 85; cf.: (ostendere ejus) mores feros immanemque naturam, Cic. Rosc. Am. 13, 37: homines a fera agrestique vita ad hunc humanum cultum civilemque deducere, id. de Or. 1, 8, 33: victus, id. Inv. 1, 2, 2: moenera militiaï, Lucr. 1, 29: munera belli, id. 1, 32: hiems, Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 42; cf.: diluvies, Hor. C. 3, 29, 40: sacra (of death by sacrifice), Ov. M. 13, 454: dolores lenire requie, id. ib. 13, 317.—With supine : ferum visu dictuque (= δεινὸν ἰδεῖν καὶ λέγειν), Sil. 1, 175.—No comp. or sup.