pignus (noun N) : (old form in plur.:
* Pignosa pignora eodem modo quo valesii, auselii ... dicebantur,Fest. p. 213 Müll.), n. root pac-, of pango; cf. paciscor, a pledge, gage, pawn, security, mortgage (of persons as well as things).
* Lit.: opponere se pigneri,Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 85: ager oppositus est pignori,Ter. Phorm. 4, 3, 56: servus, quem hic reliqueram Pignus pro me,Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 19: quo facto pignore animos centurionum devinxit,Caes. B. C. 1, 39: rem alicujus pignori accipere,Tac. H. 3, 65: pignora apud se deposita persequi et vindicare,Paul. Sent. 5, 26, 4: sub pignoribus mutuas pecunias accipere,Dig. 13, 7, 12: habere aliquid pignori,ib. 20, 4, 2: liberare pignus a creditore,ib. 20, 4, 4: pignoribus cavere alicui,ib. 43, 3, 2: aurum pignori apud aliquem ponere, ib. 13, 7, 27: viginti milia faenus pignoribus positis,income from mortgages,Juv. 9, 141.—Esp., of the security for the payment of his fine, which was taken by the consul of a senator who failed to attend in the Senate: pignus auferre,Cic. de Or. 3, 1, 4: pignoribus terreri, Crass. ib.; so, senatores pignoribus cogere,Cic. Phil. 1, 5, 12: pignora capere,Liv. 3, 38, 12; of hostages,id. 33, 22: marium pignora,male hostages,Suet. Aug. 21: pignus praetorium, the security which the proetor took as a guarantee for the preservation of a thing when he put it in the possession of a creditor, or fidei commissarius, Dig. 13, 7, 26; 41, 5, 12.
* Esp., in phrases.
* Trop.
* Transf.
* Pignoris capio, a proceeding by which the summary collection of certain debts was secured, Gai. Inst. 4, 26 (v. Sandars ad Just. Inst. introd. § 96).
* The object of a wager, a wager, stake: da pignus, ni ea sit filia,lay a wager, bet,Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 34; so id. ib. 36: cum illo dare,id. Bacch. 4, 9, 133: pignore certare cum aliquo,Verg. E. 3, 31: quovis pignore contendere,to lay any wager, bet any thing,Cat. 44, 4: et quaerit posito pignore vincat uter,Ov. A. A. 1, 168: in quodvis pignus vocare, ni, etc.,Gell. 5, 4, 2: ponere pignus cum aliquo de re aliquā,Val. Max. 4, 3, 3.
* A contract in which security is given, Dig. 13, 7, 1; 20, 6, 3.
* A pledge, token, assurance, proof: magnum pignus ab eo rei publicae datum, se, etc.,Cic. Phil. 1, 2, 4: pignora voluntatis,id. Cael. 32, 78: injuriae,id. Phil. 13, 3, 6: societatis,Tac. H. 4, 61: sceleris,id. ib. 4, 57: imperii,id. ib. 3, 72: reconciliatae gratiae pignus,Curt. 6, 7, 35: pignora da, genitor, per quae tua vera propago Credar,sure tokens,Ov. M. 2, 38; 5, 247; 7, 497: in vultu pignora mentis habet,id. A. A. 2, 378: digito pignus fortasse dedisti,i. e. a ring,Juv. 6, 27.
* Concr.
* Children, parents, brothers and sisters, relatives, as pledges of love (only after the Aug. period): nunc tibi commendo communia pignora, natos,Prop. 4 (5), 11, 73.Ov. M. 11, 543: prolemque gemellam Pignora bina dedi,id. H. 6, 121: tot natos natasque et pignora cara nepotes,id. M. 3, 134: ascita pignora,Stat. S. 2, 1, 86: pignora conjugum ac liberorum,Liv. 2, 1, 5: obsecratio illa judicum, per carissima pignora, utique, si et reo sint liberi, conjux, parentes, utilis erit,Quint. 6, 1, 33: habens filiam, uxorem, nepotem, sorores, interque tot pignora veros amicos,Plin. Ep. 1, 12, 3; Tac. A. 12, 2: proxima pignora,id. ib. 15, 36: ne in conjugem, in familiam, in cetera pignora ejus saeviret,id. ib. 16, 26; id. G. 7: frangi aspectu pignorum suorum,id. Agr. 38.—Hence, in gen.
* Any thing especially valuable or dear: si quis post pignera tanta Pompeio locus est,Luc. 7, 376.
* Poet. transf., a graft, scion, Pall. Insit. 109.

s. TLL