stirps (collat. form of the nom. stir-pes or stirpis, in the best MSS., Liv. 1, 1 fin.; 41, 8, 10; 26, 13, 16; v. Drak. ad locc.), pis, f. (poet. and post-Aug.; also m., Enn. ap. Fest. p. 313 Müll., and ap. Non. 226, 32 (Ann. 184); Pac. ap. Non. 227, 2 (Trag. Fragm. 421), and ap. Charis. p. 85 P.; Cato R. R. 40, 2; Verg. G. 2, 379; id. A. 12, 208; 12, 770; 12, 781; Col. 5, 9, 13; Plin. 8, 26, 40, § 96; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 2) [root star-; cf. sternere; Gr. στορέννυμι; prop. that which extends or spreads].
I Lit., the lower part of the trunk of plants, including the roots; a stock , stem , stalk; a root (class. and very freq.; cf. radix): arborum altitudo nos delectat. radices stirpesque non item, Cic. Or. 43, 147: terra stirpes amplexa alat, id. N. D. 2, 33, 83; cf. id. ib. 2, 10, 26; 2, 47, 120; 2, 51, 127: ut tantum modo per stirpis alantur suas, id. ib. 2, 32, 81: sceptrum in silvis imo de stirpe recisum, Verg. A. 12, 208: harundo omnis ex unā stirpe numerosa, Plin. 16, 36, 65, § 163: palmarum stirpibus ali, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 38, § 99; so, palmarum, id. ib. 2, 5, 50, § 131 (for which: radices palmarum, id. ib. 2, 5, 33, § 87); cf.: lento in stirpe moratus, Verg. A. 12, 781 (for which, just before: lentā in radice): stirpes raptas volvere, Hor. C. 3, 29, 37: validis amplexae stirpibus ulmos, Verg. G. 2, 367: hic stirpes obruit arvo, id. ib. 2, 24: domos avium cum stirpibus imis Eruit, id. ib. 2, 209; cf. of hair: vellere albos ab stirpe capillos, Prop. 3 (4), 25, 13; Tib. 1, 8, 45: ex hac nimiā licentiā, ut ex stirpe quādam, exsistere, etc., Cic. Rep. 1, 44, 68.—
B Transf.
1 Of vegetables.
a A plant , shrub (esp. freq. in plur.): stirpium naturae, Cic. Fin. 5, 4, 10; cf.: cum arborum et stirpium eadem paene natura sit, id. ib. 5, 11, 33; so (with arbores) id. Phil. 2, 22, 55; (with herbae) id. N. D. 2, 64, 161: pati (terram) stirpium asperitate vastari, id. ib. 2, 39, 99: stirpes tenent, Luc. 4, 42: internatas saxis stirpes et herbas vellentes, Tac. H. 4, 60.—
b A shoot , sprout : rami stirpesque, Lucr. 5, 1100: stirpem praecisum circumligato, etc., Cato R. R. 40, 2: probatissimum genus stirpis deponere, i. e. malleolos, Col. 3, 5, 4: stirpem post annum praecidi, id. 5, 6, 13: stirpis committere ramis, engraft , Lucr. 5, 1365.—
2 Of persons.
a A stem , stock , race , family , lineage (cf.: genus, familia): ignoratio stirpis et generis, Cic. Lael. 19, 70: stirpis ac gentilitatis jus, id. de Or. 1, 39, 176: qui sunt ejusdem stirpis, id. Rab. Post. 1, 2: a stirpe supremo, Enn. ap. Non. 226, 32 (Ann. v. 184 Vahl.): divinae stirpis Acestes, Verg. A. 5, 711: Priami de stirpe, id. ib. 5, 297: Herculis stirpe generatus, Cic. Rep. 2, 12, 24: hinc orti stirpe antiquissimā sumus, id. Leg. 2, 1, 3: hominum sceleratorum, Caes. B. G. 6, 34: ab stirpe socius et amicus populi Romani, Sall. J. 14, 2 et saep.: unum relictum, stirpem genti Fabiae futurum, Liv. 2, 50 fin. —
b Like Engl. scion , = offspring , descendant , progeny (mostly poet.; not in Cic.): stirps liberum, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 7, § 16 Müll. (Trag. v. 317 Vahl.); so, liberum, Liv. 45, 11; cf.: aliquis magnā de stirpe nepotum, Verg. A. 6, 864: stirps et genus omne futurum, id. ib. 4, 622; cf.: en stirps et progenies tot consulum, tot dictatorum, Tac. A. 2, 37 fin. : stirpis virilis, Liv. 1, 1, 11; cf.: qui stirpem ex sese domi relinquerent, id. 41, 8, 9.—
II Trop., source , origin , foundation , first beginning , cause , etc.: altae stirpes stultitiae, Cic. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: superstitionis stirpes, id. Div. 2, 72, 149: virtutis, id. Cael. 32, 79: quā ex stirpe orirentur amicitiae cognationum, id. Fin. 4, 7, 17: quodsi exquiratur usque ab stirpe auctoritas, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 180: populum a stirpe repetere, Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21 Mos.: repetam stirpem juris a naturā, id. Leg. 1, 6, 20: stirps ac semen malorum omnium, id. Cat. 1, 12, 30; cf.: ea pars, quae quasi stirps est hujus quaestionis, id. Fin. 4, 2, 5: non ingenerantur hominibus mores tam a stirpe generis ac seminis, quam, etc., original nature , id. Agr. 2, 35, 95; cf.: exoletā stirpe gentis, Liv. 37, 8, 4.—So esp. in phrase ab stirpe, utterly : Karthago ab stirpe interiit, Sall. C. 10, 1: gens ab stirpe exstincta est, Liv. 9, 34, 19: omne genus ab stirpe sublatum esse, id. 34, 2, 3; cf.: omnis intra annum cum stirpe exstinctos, id. 9, 29, 10: velut ab stirpibus renata urbs, id. 6, 1, 3.