fĕmur (noun N) : (acc. to a nom. ‡ femen, mentioned only by Prisc. p. 701 P. and Serv. Verg. A. 10, 344; 778; nom. femus, Ap. M. 8, p. 216, 15; cf.: μῆρος, femus, Gloss. Lab.; dat. femori; femini only Plin. 28, 15, 61, § 217; abl. usually femore, but femine, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 48; Verg. A. 10, 788; plur. femora or femina; dat. feminibus, rarely femoribus), etym. dub.; cf. root feo of femina, etc.
* The upper part of the thigh, the thigh.
* Lit.: ima spina in coxarum osse desinit, etc. ... inde femina oriuntur,Cels. 8, 1 med.: frons non percussa, non femur,Cic. Brut. 80, 278: ferit femur dextrum dextra,Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 50: femur caedere,Quint. 2, 12, 10: ferire,id. 11, 3, 123; cf.: feminis plangore et capitis ictu uti,Auct. Her. 3, 15, 27; Cic. N. D. 1, 35, 99; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, § 93: transfixus femore et umero,Suet. Caes. 68; id. Aug. 80: nocet femori conseruisse femur,Tib. 1, 8, 26: et corpus quaerens femorum crurumque pedumque,Ov. M. 14, 64: teretes stipites feminis crassitudine,Caes. B. G. 7, 73, 6: ocius ensem eripit a femine,Verg. A. 10, 788: galli feminibus pilosis, cruribus brevibus,Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 5.
* Transf.
* In architecture, the space between the grooves of a triglyph, Vitr. 4, 3.
* Femur bubulum, a plant otherwise unknown, Plin. 27, 9, 56, § 81.
* Esp., like lumbi, the loins, of ancestry (Eccl. Lat.): de femore Jacob,Vulg. Ex. 1, 5; id. Gen. 46, 26.

s. TLL