(verb) : cŏ-ercĕo, cui, cĭtum, 2, arceo
* To enclose something on all sides or wholly, to hold together, to surround, encompass: qui (mundus) omnia complexu suo coërcet et continet,Cic. N. D. 2, 22, 58; cf. id. ib. 2, 40, 101; Ov. M. 1, 31: quā circum Galli lorica coërcet,where the Gallic coat of mail encloses,Lucr. 6, 954; cf. of a band holding the hair together,Ov. M. 1, 477; 2, 413; Hor. C. 2, 19, 19; 1, 10, 18: est animus vitaï claustra coërcens,holding together the bands of life,Lucr. 3, 396.
* Esp. with the access. idea of hindering free motion by surrounding; to restrain, confine, shut in, hold in confinement, repress (freq. and class.): (amnis) nullis coërcitus ripis,Liv. 21, 31, 11; cf. Ov. M. 1, 342: (aqua) jubetur ab arbitro coërceri,to be kept in, repressed,Cic. Top. 9, 39 (cf., just before, the more usual arcere, v. arceo, II.); Dig. 43, 22, 1, §§ 6 and 8; 47, 11, 10: impetum aquarum,Curt. 8, 13, 9.—Of pruning plants: vitem serpentem multiplici lapsu et erratico, ferro amputans coërcet ars agricolarum,Cic. Sen. 15, 52; so of the vine,Col. 3, 21, 7; 4, 1, 5; Quint. 9, 4, 5; cf. id. 8, 3, 10.—Hence, sacrum (lucum), to trim, clip, Cato, R. R. 139: quibus (operibus) intra muros coërcetur hostis,Liv. 5, 5, 2: (mortuos) noviens Styx interfusa coërcet,Verg. A. 6, 439; cf.: Tantalum atque Tantali Genus coërcet (Orcus),Hor. C. 2, 18, 38: carcere coërcere animalia,Plin. 10, 50, 72, § 141: Hypermnestra ... gravibus coërcita vinclis,Ov. H. 14, 3; cf.: eos morte, exsilio, vinclis, damno coërcent, Cic. Off. 3, 5, 23: aliquem custodiā,Dig. 41, 1, 3, § 2: Galliae Alpibus coërcitae,Plin. 12, 1, 2, § 5: miles coërcitus in tot receptis ex potestate hostium urbibus,Liv. 36, 24, 7.—Poet.: Messapus primas acies, postrema coërcent Tyrrhidae juvenes, hold together, i. e. command, lead on, Verg. A. 9, 27.
* Trop.
* Of discourse, to keep within limits, control, confine, restrain, limit (syn.: contineo, cohibeo): ut (nos) quasi extra ripas diffluentes coërceret,Cic. Brut. 91, 316; cf. id. Fin. 2, 1, 3; Quint. 12, 1, 20; 9, 2, 76; 10, 4, 1; and, the figure taken from bridling or curbing horses (cf.: frenisque coërcuit ora,Ov. M. 5, 643; and: spumantiaque ora coërcet,id. ib. 6, 226): exsultantia,Quint. 10, 4, 1; cf. id. 10, 3, 10: Augustus addiderat consilium coercendi intra terminos imperii,Tac. A. 1, 11.—Of words bound by measure: numeris verba coërcere,Ov. P. 4, 8, 73.—But most freq.
* Morally, to hold some fault, some passion, etc., or the erring or passionate person in check, to curb, restrain, tame, correct, etc. (syn.: contineo, cohibeo, refreno, reprimo, domo): cupiditates,Cic. de Or. 1, 43, 194; Quint. 12, 2, 28: temeritatem,Cic. Tusc. 2, 21, 47: improbitatem,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 89, § 208: rabiem gentis,Liv. 41, 27, 4: faenus,id. 32, 27, 3: procacitatem hominis manibus,Nep. Timol. 5, 2: suppliciis delicta,Hor. S. 1, 3, 79 al.: aliquid poenae aut infamiae metu,Cic. Fin. 2, 22, 73: omnibus modis socios atque cives,Sall. C. 29 fin.: genus hominum neque beneficio, neque metu coërcitum,id. J. 91, 7: duabus coërcitis gentibus,Liv. 31, 43, 4; 39, 32, 11; Caes. B. C. 1, 67: verberibus potius quam verbis,Varr. R. R. 1, 17, 5; so Cic. Cat. 1, 1, 3; id. Off. 3, 5, 23; v. A. supra: pueros fuste,Hor. S. 1, 3, 134; Tac. G. 25: incensum ac flagrantem animum,id. Agr. 4: licentiam,id. H. 1, 35.—Poet.: carmen, quod non Multa dies et multa litura coërcuit,corrected, finished,Hor. A. P. 293.

s. TLL