plērusque, răque, rumque, adj. [a strengthened form from plerus],
I very many , a very great part , the most , most (rare in sing., and only in Sall. and post-class. writers; but in plur. freq. in all periods and styles).
α Plur. : habent hunc morem plerique argentarii, Plaut. Curc. 3, 7: pleraeque hae (meretrices) sub vestimentis secum habebant retia, id. Ep. 2, 2, 32; Ter. Eun. 118: multi nihil prodesse philosophiam, plerique etiam obesse arbitrantur, Cic. Inv. 1, 36, 65: ut plerique meministis, id. Sest. 3, 6: plerique Belgae, Caes. B. G. 2, 4: pleraeque boves, Varr. R. R. 2, 5: pleraque tecta ... alia, etc., Liv. 27, 3.—With ex and abl.: plerique e Graecis, Plin. 5, 1, 1, § 8: plerisque ex factione ejus corruptis, Sall. J. 29, 2.—With omnes , almost all : plerique omnes subiguntur sub suum judicium, Naev. ap. Don. ad Ter. And. 55 ( Naev. Klussmann, p. 80): plerique omnes adulescentuli, id. ib. 55; cf.: dixi pleraque omnia, id. Heaut. 830.—Less emphatically, a considerable part , very many : rapti e publico plerique, plures in tabernis intercepti, Tac. H. 1, 86; so, like plures: non dubito fore plerosque, qui hoc genus scripturae leve judicent, Nep. praef. 1: pleraque testimonia, id. Timo th. 4, 2: deum ipsum multi Aesculapium, quidam Osirim, plerique Iovem, plurimi Ditem patrem conjectant, Tac. H. 4, 84 fin. —With gen.: plerique nostrūm oratorum, Cic. Or. 42, 143: Poenorum, id. Verr. 2, 3, 6, § 12: vestrum, id. Clu. 42, 117: quorum plerique, id. Lael. 20, 71; Sall. J. 74, 1: urbium pleraeque, Liv. 5, 6, 9: eorum plerique, Cic. Top. 21, 80; id. Fam. 5, 21, 1: legentium, Liv. praef. 4: Graecorum, Plin. Ep. 5, 20, 4: militum, Tac. H. 1, 5.— Gen. plur. (rare and post-class.): scientia plerarumque litterarum, Vitr. 1, 1, 11.— Subst.: plērăque , n. plur., all , every thing : nec ratione animi quicquam, sed pleraque viribus corporis administrabant, Cic. Inv. 1, 2.—Also, the most , the greatest part. : pleraque ejus insulae, Curt. 4, 8, 15. — plērăque , adverb., mostly , for the most part (post-class.): is erit pleraque impeccabilis, Gell. 17, 19, 6.—
β Sing. : juventus pleraque Catilinae favebat, the greatest or largest part , Sall. C. 17, 6: pleraque nobilitas, id. ib. 23, 6: quā tempestate Carthaginienses pleraeque Africae imperitabant, id. J. 79, 2: exercitum plerumque opperiri jubet, id. ib. 54, 9: Graecia, Gell. 17, 21: comae pleramque contegebant faciem, Ap. Met. 9, 30, 12.— Neutr. : plērum-que , subst., with gen., the greatest part : ubi plerumque noctis processit, Sall. J. 21, 2: Europae, Liv. 45, 9; Just. 41, 1, 12; Mel. 1, 4, 2.—More freq.: plērumquē , adv., for the most part , mostly , commonly , very often , very frequently : haec ipsa fortuita sunt: plerumque enim non semper eveniunt, Cic. Div. 2, 5, 14: plerumque casu, saepe naturā, id. Or. 51, 170; Plaut. Rud. 4, 7, 11: ridiculum acri Fortius et melius magnas plerumque secat res, Hor. S. 1, 10, 15: hi plerumque gradus, usually , Juv. 11, 46.—Post-Aug., in a less emphatic sense, often , frequently : plerumque permoveor, num ad ipsum referri verius sit, Tac. A. 4, 57; id. H. 5, 1; id. G. 13; 45; id. Or. 15; Dig. 2, 14, 25 and 26.