ŏnus (in good MSS. also wr. hŏnus), ĕris, n. [etym. dub.; cf. Sanscr. anas, a wagon for freight], a load, burden (cf. pondus).
I Lit.
A In gen.: oneris maximi pondus, Vitr. 10, 8: onus sustinere, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 68: cum gravius dorso subiit onus (asellus), Hor. S. 1, 9, 20: tanti oneris turris, Caes. B. G. 2, 30: ad minimum redigi onus, Ov. M. 14, 149.—
B In partic.
1 Of goods, baggage, etc., a load , lading , freight , cargo : insula Delos, quo omnes undique cum mercibus atque oneribus commeabant, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 18, 55: onera afferuntur, Plin. 6, 23, 26, § 104: (naves) ad onera et ad multitudinem jumentorum transportandam paulo latiores, Caes. B. G. 5, 1, 2: jumentis onera deponere, loads , packs , id. B. C. 1, 80.—
2 Poet., the burden of the womb , the foetus , embryo : gravidi ventris, Ov. Am. 2, 13, 1; id. F. 2, 452; id. H. 4, 58; Phaedr. 1, 18, 5. —
3 The excrements : ciborum onera reddere, Plin. 8, 27, 41, § 97: duri ventris solvere, Mart. 13, 29, 2.—
II Trop
A A burden , in respect of property, i. e. a tax or an expense (usually in the plur.): municipium maximis oneribus pressum, Cic. Fam. 13, 7, 2: haec onera in dites a pauperibus inclinata, Liv. 1, 43: patria, Suet. Calig. 42: haerere in explicandis oneribus, id. Dom. 12 init. : oneribus novis turbantur provinciae, Tac. A. 4, 6.—
B A load , burden , weight , charge , trouble , difficulty of any kind (so most freq. in Cic.; cf. molestia): magni sunt oneris; quicquid imponas, vehunt, capable of bearing great burdens , Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 95: quae (senectus) plerisque senibus sic odiosa est, ut onus se Aetnā gravius dicant sustinere, Cic. Sen. 2, 4: onus atque munus magnum, id. de Or. 1, 25, 116: hoc onus si vos adlevabitis, id. Rosc. Am. 4, 10: officii, id. ib.: probandi, the burden of proof , obligation to prove , Dig. 31, 1, 22; Cic. Rep. 1, 23, 37: oneri esse, to be a burden , Liv. 23, 43; Vulg. 2 Reg. 15, 33: neque eram nescius, quantis oneribus premerere susceptarum rerum, Cic. Fam. 5, 12, 2: epici carminis onera lyrā sustinere, Quint. 10, 1, 62.—
C (Eccl. Lat.) The burden of a prophecy, the woes predicted against any one: Babylonis, Vulg. Isa. 13, 1: Tyri, id. ib. 23, 1.—With subj.gen. : Domini, Vulg. Jer. 23, 33: verbi Domini, id. Zach. 12, 1.