prō-pugno, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a.
I To rush out to fight , go forth to fight , to make sallies or sorties : ipsi ex silvis rari propugnabant, Caes. B. G. 5, 9; cf. id. ib. 2, 7; id. B. C. 2, 8.—
II To fight or contend for , to defend a thing (class.; syn.: tutor, defendo).
A Lit.: uno tempore propugnare et munire, Caes. B. C. 3, 45: pro suo partu, Cic. Tusc. 5, 27, 79: multos e muris propugnantes hastā transfixit, Curt. 4, 4, 11. —
β With dat. (post-class.): propugnare fratri, Ap. Met. 9, 37, 9; puero misello, id. ib. 7, 27, 22.—
B Trop.: pro aequitate, Cic. Off. 1, 19, 62: pro salute, id. Fam. 11, 16, 2.—With acc. (post-Aug.), to defend : absentiam suam, Suet. Caes. 23: dum quae libidine deliquerant, ambitu propugnant, Tac. A. 13, 31 fin. ; 15, 13: pectora parmā, Stat. Th. 2, 584; 4, 110.