Lewis Short
ferrum (noun N) : cf. Sanscr. dharti, firmness; Lat. firmus
* Iron.
* Lit., Plin. 34, 14, 39, § 138; Lucr. 1, 571; 5, 1241; 1286; Cic. N. D. 2, 60, 151; id. Leg. 2, 18, 45; Caes. B. G. 5, 12, 5; Hor. S. 1, 4, 20 et saep.: mustum quod resipit ferrum,has a taste of iron,Varr. R. R. 1, 54, 3.
* Poet.
* Transf., any thing made of iron, an iron implement, as a plough: glebas proscindere ferro, Lucil. ap. Non. 401, 19: solum terrae,Lucr. 5, 1295; cf. also, campum,Ov. M. 7, 119: ferro scindimus aequor,Verg. G. 1, 50; a hatchet: ferro mitiget agrum,Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 186; an axe: mordaci velut icta ferro Pinus,id. C. 4, 6, 9; 4, 4, 60 (for which, shortly before, bipennis); cf. Lucr. 6, 168; a dart: petita ferro belua,Hor. Epod. 5, 10; the tip of an arrow: exstabat ferrum de pectore aduncum,Ov. M. 9, 128; the head (of a spear), Tac. G. 6; an iron stylus: dextra tenet ferrum,id. ib. 9, 522; hair-scissors: solitus longos ferro resecare capillos,id. ib. 11, 182; curling-irons: crines vibratos calido ferro,Verg. A. 12, 100 et saep.—Esp. freq. a sword: Drusum ferro. Metellum veneno sustulerat,Cic. N. D. 3, 33, 81: in aliquem cum ferro invadere,id. Caecin. 9, 25: aut ferro aut fame interire,Caes. B. G. 5, 30 fin.: uri virgis ferroque necari,Hor. S. 2, 7, 58; cf.: gladiator, ferrum recipere jussus,the stroke of the sword,Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 41. So, ferrum et ignis, like our fire and sword, to denote devastation, utter destruction: huic urbi ferro ignique minitantur,Cic. Phil. 11, 14, 37; cf.: hostium urbes agrique ferro atque igni vastentur,Liv. 31, 7, 13: pontem ferro, igni, quacumque vi possent, interrumpant,id. 2, 10, 4; 30, 6, 9; 1, 59, 1: ecce ferunt Troës ferrumque ignemque Jovemque In Danaas classes,Ov. M. 13, 91: inque meos ferrum flammasque penates Impulit,id. ib. 12, 551; so, conversely, igni ferroque, Cic. Phil. 13, 21, 47; Liv. 35, 21, 10; cf. Tac. A. 14, 38; Suet. Claud. 21: flamma ferroque,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 35, § 78; Flor. 2, 17, 15; 3, 18, 14; Sen. Const. Sap. 2, 2: ferrum, i. q. arms, for battle, war, force of arms: ferro, non auro, vitam cernamus, utrique, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 12, 38 (Ann. v. 202 ed. Vahl.); cf.: quem nemo ferro potuit superare nec auro, id. ap. Cic. Rep. 3, 3 (Ann. v. 220 ed. Vahl.): adnuit, sese mecum decernere ferro, id. ap. Prisc. p. 822 P. (Ann. v. 136 ed. Vahl.): decernere ferro,Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317; Liv. 40, 8 fin.; Verg. A. 7, 525; 11, 218: cernere ferro,id. ib. 12, 709: ferro regna lacessere,with war,id. ib. 12, 186; cf.: atque omnis, Latio quae servit purpura ferro,i. e. made subject by the force of arms,Luc. 7, 228.— Prov.: ferrum meum in igni est, i. q. mea nunc res agitur, Sen. Mort. Claud.
* As an image of firmness, endurance, Ov. Pont. 4, 10, 3.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary