(v. a.P. a.) : prae-fringo, frēgi, fractum, 3, v. a.frango
* To break off before or at the end, to break to pieces, shiver (class.): ne caulis praefringatur,Cato, R. R. 33 (cited by Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 20): hastas,Liv. 8, 10; so, primam aciem telo,to break off the point of the missile,Just. 6, 8, 2: cornu galeae,Liv. 27, 33: praefracto rostro (triremis),Caes. B. C. 2, 6: praefracta strigilis, Lucil. ap. Gell. 3, 14, 10: praefracta ligna,Lucr. 1, 892.—Hence, praefractus, a, um, P. a.
* In rhet., broken, abrupt: Thucydides praefractior,Cic. Or. 13, 40.
* In character, stern, harsh, inflexible: Aristo Chius, praefractus, ferreus, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 155, 14: praefractior atque abscissior justitia,Val. Max. 6, 5 fin.: praefractius perseverantiae exemplum,sterner, firmer,id. 3, 8, ext. 3.—Adv.: praefractē, sternly, inflexibly, resolutely: aerarium defendere,Cic. Off. 3, 22, 88 (Non. 155, 11, reads praefractum).—Comp., Val. Max. 9, 7 fin.

s. TLL