vincŭlum, or (also in class. prose), contr., vinclum, i, n. [vincio], that with which any thing is bound, a band, bond, rope, cord, fetter, tie (cf.: catena, manica, compes).
I Lit.: corpora constricta vinculis, Cic. de Or. 1, 52, 226: nodos et vincula rupit, Verg. A. 5, 510: hic fessas non vincula naves Ulla tenent, id. ib. 1, 168: Chio solvite vincla cado, Tib. 2, 1, 28: tunicarum vincla relaxat, Ov. F. 2, 321: quamvis Charta sit a vinclis non labefacta suis, i. e. the seal , id. P. 3, 7, 6: chartae sua vincula dempsi, id. Tr. 4, 7, 7: epistolae laxare, Nep. Paus. 4, 1: pennarum vincula, Ov. M. 8, 226: et Tyrrhena pedum circumdat vincula plantis, Verg. A. 8, 458; so of sandals, Tib. 1, 5, 66; Ov. F. 1, 410; 2, 324; 3, 823.—
2 Esp. in the plur., of the fetters of prisoners, and hence sometimes to be rendered prison; and vincula publica, the state-prison : mitto vincla, mitto carcerem, mitto verbera, mitto secures, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 24, § 59: aliquem aeternis tenebris vinculisque mandare, id. Cat. 4, 5, 10: de convivio in vincla atque in tenebras abripi, id. Verr. 2, 4, 10, § 24: in vincula conjectus, Caes. B. G. 3, 9; Caes. 4, 27: in vincula duci, Liv. 3, 13, 4; 3, 49, 2; 3, 56, 4; 3, 57, 5; 5, 9, 4; 9, 34, 24; 38, 56, 9; Vell. 2, 7, 2 al.: in vinculis et catenis, Liv. 6, 16, 2; ex vinculis causam dicere, i. e. to plead in chains , Caes. B. G. 1, 4: publica, Nep. Milt. 7, 6; id. Paus. 2, 2; id. Cim. 1, 1; Paul. Sent. 5, 17, 3; 5, 26, 1.—
II Trop., a bond , fetter , tie , band : qui ex corporum vinculis tamquam e carcere evolaverunt, Cic. Rep. 6, 14, 14: vinculum ad astringendam fidem, id. Off. 3, 31, 111; cf.: victum ingens vinculum fidei, Liv. 8, 28, 8: vincula revellit non modo judiciorum, sed etiam utilitatis vitaeque communis, Cic. Caecin. 25, 70: vinculum ingens immodicae cupiditatis injectum est, Liv. 10, 13, 14: quae (beneficium et gratia) sunt vincula concordiae, Cic. Fin. 2, 35, 117: vinculis et propinquitatis et affinitatis conjunctus, id. Planc. 11, 27: vincla summae conjunctionis, id. Att. 6, 2, 1: accedit maximum vinculum, quod ita rem publicam geris, ut, etc., id. Fam. 15, 11, 2: quod vinclum, quaeso, deest nostrae conjunctioni, id. ib. 5, 15, 2: ne cui me vinclo vellem jugali, Verg. A. 4, 16; cf. Ov. M. 9, 549: excusare laborem et mercenaria vincla, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 67.