verbthird conjugation
sternō
sternō (present infinitive sternere, perfect active strāvī, supine strātum)
Classical[ˈstɛr.noː]Ecclesiastical[ˈstɛr.no]
Mille Verba core vocabulary
Meaning
- transitiveto spread, stretch out, spread out
- raretransitiveto calm, still, moderate
- transitiveto cover, spread with, scatter with, bestrew with, besprinkle
- transitiveto pave, cover
- transitiveto stretch on the ground, throw to the ground, cast down, strike down, prostrate
- to overthrow
c. 13th C., O Fortuna, lines 34-36
That which through fate strikes the strong man down, everyone bemoan [it] with me! - broadlytransitiveto knock to the ground, demolish, raze, level, flatten
cum toga signum dedero, tum mihi undique clamore sublato turbam inuadite ac sternite omnia ferro;
when I give the signal with my toga, raise a loud shout and make an attack on the crowd from all sides and cut everything down with the sword27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita XXIV.38
Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers
in terrā lātē pōnō; viam flōribus sternunt.sternō -ere strāvī — in Mille Verba, Templum Graecum
ad terram prōiciōsternō -ere, strātus — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 22
ad terram dēiciōsternō -ere, strātus — in IVLIANVS II: Imperium, ch. 2
humī prōsternō, ante pōnōsternō -ere — in Evangelium secundum Matthaeum, ch. 19
humī expandōsternō -ere — in Evangelium secundum Marcum, ch. 17
lay low; pave
sternō -ere, strātus — in De Bello Gallico II
Conjugation conjugation 3
| form | present | imperfect | future | perfect | pluperfect | fut. perfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | sternō | sternēbam | sternam | strāvī | strāveram | strāverō |
| 2nd sg. | sternis | sternēbās | sternēs | strāvistī | strāverās | strāveris |
| 3rd sg. | sternit | sternēbat | sternet | strāvit | strāverat | strāverit |
| 1st pl. | sternimus | sternēbāmus | sternēmus | strāvimus | strāverāmus | strāverimus |
| 2nd pl. | sternitis | sternēbātis | sternētis | strāvistis | strāverātis | strāveritis |
| 3rd pl. | sternunt | sternēbant | sternent | strāvērunt strāvēre | strāverant | strāverint |
active subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect | perfect | pluperfect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | sternam | sternerem | strāverim | strāvissem |
| 2nd sg. | sternās | sternerēs | strāverīs | strāvissēs |
| 3rd sg. | sternat | sterneret | strāverit | strāvisset |
| 1st pl. | sternāmus | sternerēmus | strāverīmus | strāvissēmus |
| 2nd pl. | sternātis | sternerētis | strāverītis | strāvissētis |
| 3rd pl. | sternant | sternerent | strāverint | strāvissent |
passive indicative
| form | present | imperfect | future |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | sternor | sternēbar | sternar |
| 2nd sg. | sterneris sternere | sternēbāris sternēbāre | sternēris sternēre |
| 3rd sg. | sternitur | sternēbātur | sternētur |
| 1st pl. | sternimur | sternēbāmur | sternēmur |
| 2nd pl. | sterniminī | sternēbāminī | sternēminī |
| 3rd pl. | sternuntur | sternēbantur | sternentur |
passive subjunctive
| form | present | imperfect |
|---|---|---|
| 1st sg. | sternar | sternerer |
| 2nd sg. | sternāris sternāre | sternerēris sternerēre |
| 3rd sg. | sternātur | sternerētur |
| 1st pl. | sternāmur | sternerēmur |
| 2nd pl. | sternāminī | sternerēminī |
| 3rd pl. | sternantur | sternerentur |
imperative
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| pres. 2nd sg. | sterne | sternere |
| pres. 2nd pl. | sternite | sterniminī |
| fut. 2nd sg. | sternitō | sternitor |
| fut. 3rd sg. | sternitō | sternitor |
| fut. 2nd pl. | sternitōte | — |
| fut. 3rd pl. | sternuntō | sternuntor |
infinitives & participles
| form | active | passive |
|---|---|---|
| present infinitive | sternere | sternī |
| perfect infinitive | strāvisse | strātum esse |
| future infinitive | strātūrum esse | strātum īrī |
| present participle | sternēns | — |
| perfect participle | — | strātus strāta, strātā, strātae, strātam, strātārum, strātās, strāte, strātī, strātīs, strātō, strātōrum, strātōs |
| future participle | strātūrus strātūra, strātūrā, strātūrae, strātūram, strātūrārum, strātūrās, strātūre, strātūrī, strātūrīs, strātūrō, strātūrōrum, strātūrōs, strātūrum | sternendus sternundus, sternenda, sternendā, sternendae, sternendam, sternendārum, sternendās, sternende, sternendīs, sternendōrum, sternendōs, sternunda, sternundā, sternundae, sternundam, sternundārum, sternundās, sternunde, sternundī, sternundīs, sternundō, sternundōrum, sternundōs, sternundum |
gerundsternendī, sternendō, sternendumsupinestrātum, strātū
Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book
- via strata
- a street, a made road.
- sternere equum
- to saddle a horse.
- omnia strata sunt ferro
- all have perished by the sword.
- viam sternere (silice, saxo)
- to pave a road.
- ad pedes alicuius iacēre, stratum esse (stratum iacēre)
- to prostrate oneself before a person.
sterno, strāvi, strātum, 3 (
I. pluperf. sync. strarat, Manil. 1, 774: strasset, Varr. ap. Non. 86, 8), v. a. Gr. root ΣΤΟΡ, στορέννυμι, to spread; στρατός, camp; Sanscr. star- strnāmi = sterno; cf.: strages, struo, torus, and lātus, adj., old Lat. stlatus, to spread out, spread abroad; to stretch out, extend.
I. Lit. (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose; in Cic. only in the part. perf.; cf.:
effundo, extendo, subicio, subdo): vestes, Ov. M. 8, 658: in duro vellus solo, id. F. 4, 654: bubulos utres ponte, Plin. 6, 29, 34, § 176: hic glarea dura Sternitur, Tib. 1, 7, 60: natas sub aequore virgas Sternit, i. e. scatters, strews, Ov. M. 4, 743: harenam, id. F. 3, 813; id. Am. 2, 14, 8: herbas, id. M. 7, 254: poma passim, Verg. E. 7, 54: spongeas ad lunam et pruinas, Plin. 31, 11. 47, § 123: arma per flores, Grat. Cyneg. 487: fessi sternunt corpora, stretch out their bodies, lie down, Liv. 27, 47, 9; cf.: sternunt se somno diversae in litore phocae, Verg. G. 4, 432.—Mid.: sternimur optatae gremio telluris, Verg. A. 3, 509; and: in Capitolinas certatim scanditur arces Sternunturque Jovi, Sil. 12, 340.—Part. perf.: strātus, a, um, stretched out, lying down, prostrate (syn. prostratus): strata terrae, Enn. ap. Non. 172, 20 (Trag. v. 370 Vahl.): nos humi strati, Cic. de Or. 3, 6, 22: quidam somno etiam strati, Liv. 37, 20, 5: ad pedes strati, Cic. Att. 10, 4, 3: stratum jacere et genua complecti, Quint. 6, 1, 34: nunc viridi membra sub arbuto Stratus, Hor. C. 1, 1, 21.—2. Of places, to extend:
insulae Frisiorum, Chaucorum, etc. ... sternuntur inter Helium ac Flevum, stretch out, extend, Plin. 4, 15, 29, § 101; 3, 5, 9, § 60; hence, vites stratae, spreading, Col. 5, 4, 2 (for Nep. Milt. 5, 3, v. under rarus, II. A.).—B. In partic., to spread a thing out flat, i. e. to smooth, level (mostly poet.):
sternere aequor aquis, Verg. A. 8, 89; cf.: placidi straverunt aequora venti, id. ib. 5, 763: nunc omne tibi stratum silet aequor, id. E. 9, 57: pontum, Ov. M. 11, 501: mare, Plin. 2, 47, 47, § 125: stratoque super discumbitur ostro, Verg. A. 1, 700: viam per mare, smoothed, levelled, Lucr. 3, 1030 (acc. to the Gr. ὁδὸν στορέννυμι): stratum militari labore iter, Quint. 2, 13, 16; so, hoc iter Alpes, Hoc Cannae stravere tibi, Sil. 12, 514; and trop.: praesens tibi fama benignum Stravit iter, Stat. Th. 12, 813.—* 2. Trop. (the figure borrowed from the sea), to calm, still, moderate:
odia militum, Tac. H. 1, 58 (cf.: constrata ira, Stat. S. 2, 5, 1).—II. Transf.
A. To cover, cover over (by spreading something out; the predom. class. signif. of the word; cf. obtendo).
1. Of a couch, bed, etc., to spread, prepare, arrange, make:
lectus vestimentis stratus est, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 30; cf.: strata cubilia sunt herbis, Lucr. 5, 1417: rogatus est a Maximo, ut triclinium sterneret ... Atque ille stravit pelliculis haedinis lectulos Punicanos, Cic. Mur. 36, 75; so, lectum, lectos, biclinium, triclinia, etc., Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 33; id. Most. 1, 4, 14; id. Men. 2, 3, 3; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 70; id. Ps. 1, 2, 31; Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 73; id. Ad. 2, 4, 21; Cic. Clu. 5, 14; id. Tusc. 5, 21, 61; Hirt. B. G. 8, 51: his foliis cubitus sternere, Plin. 24, 9, 38, § 59: torum frondibus, Juv. 6, 5: strata cathedra, cushioned, id. 9, 52; cf. also, ARCERAM NE STERNITO, Fragm. XII. Tab. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 25; and absol.: jubet sterni sibi in primā domus parte (sc. lectum), Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 7.— 2. Esp., places, to cover; of a way, road, path, etc., to pave:
aspreta erant strata saxis, Liv. 9, 35, 2: via strata, id. 8, 15, 8: semitam saxo quadrato straverunt, id. 10, 23 fin.; so, vias silice ... clivum Capitolinum silice ... emporium lapide, id. 41, 27, 5 sq.; and absol.: locum illum sternendum locare, Cic. Att. 14, 15, 2: pavimentum stratum lapide, Vulg. Ezech. 40, 17: viam lapide, Dig. 43, 11, 1.—3. To saddle:
equos, Liv. 37, 20, 12; 37, 20, 4; Veg. 5, 77: asinum, Vulg. Gen. 22, 3.—4. In gen., to cover, spread:
argento sternunt iter omne viarum, Lucr. 2, 626: foliis nemus Multis et algā litus inutili tempestas Sternet, will strew over, bestrew, Hor. C. 3, 17, 12: congeriem silvae vellere summam, Ov. M. 9, 236: litora nive, Val. Fl. 5, 175: harenam Circi chrysocolla, Plin. 33, 5, 27, § 90: solum telis, Verg. A. 9, 666: Tyrrhenas valles caedibus, Sil. 6, 602: strati bacis silvestribus agri, Verg. G. 2, 183: ante aras terram caesi stravere juvenci, covered, id. A. 8, 719.—B. To stretch out by flinging down, to throw down, stretch on the ground, throw to the ground, overthrow, prostrate (mostly poet., esp. in Verg.; in prose not before the Aug. period; in Cic. only once in the trop. sense; v. the foll.; cf.
profligo): cujus casus prolapsi cum proximos sterneret, Liv. 5, 47: circa jacentem ducem sterne Gallorum catervas, id. 7, 26, 8: turbam invadite ac sternite omnia ferro, id. 24, 38, 7: alius sit fortis in armis, Sternat et adversos Marte favente duces, Tib. 1, 10, 30: caede viros, Verg. A. 10, 119: aliquem leto, id. ib. 8, 566: morte, id. ib. 11, 796; Liv. 31, 21, 15; Ov. M. 12, 604: adversā prensis a fronte capillis Stravit humi pronam, id. ib. 2, 477: primosque et extremos Stravit humum, Hor. C. 4, 14, 32: sternitur volnere, Verg. A. 10, 781: impetus per stratos caede hostes, Liv. 4, 29, 1: aliquem morti, Verg. A. 12, 464: irae Thyesten exitio gravi Stravere, Hor. C. 1, 16, 18: corpore toto Sternitur in vultus, Stat. Th. 12, 318: sternitur, et toto projectus corpore terrae, Verg. A. 11, 87: toto praecipitem sternit, Sil. 4, 182: hostes, Just. 2, 11, 13: Ajax stravit ferro pecus, Hor. S. 2, 3, 202: sternitur et procumbit humi bos, Verg. A. 5, 481: strata belua texit humum, Ov. H. 10, 106: rapidus torrens Sternit agros, sternit sata laeta, Verg. A. 2, 306: moenia, to overthrow, demolish, Ov. M. 12, 550; cf.: stratis ariete muris, Liv. 1, 29, 2: sternit a culmine Trojam, Verg. A. 2, 603; so, (elephanti) stabula Indorum dentibus sternunt, Plin. 8, 9, 9, § 27.—2. Trop. (rare):
deorum plagā perculsi, afflictos se et stratos esse fatentur, cast down, prostrated, Cic. Tusc. 3, 29, 72: mortalia corda Per gentes humiles stravit pavor, Verg. G. 1, 331: virtus populi Romani haec omnia strata humi erexit ac sustulit, Liv. 26, 41, 12: stratā Germaniā, subdued, Amm. 16, 1, 5.—Hence, strātus, a, um, P. a.; as substt. A. strāta, ae, f. (sc. via), a paved road or way (post-class.), Eutr. 9, 15:
amplas sternite jam stratas, Juvenc. 1, 315: in margine stratae, id. 3, 656.—B. strātum, i, n. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic.; acc. to II. A.).—
1. A bed-covering, a coverlet, quilt, blanket; a pillow, bolster:
lecti mollia strata, Lucr. 4, 849: proripere se e strato, Suet. Calig. 51; Ov. M. 5, 34; 10, 267.— b. Meton. (pars pro toto), a bed, couch:
haud segnis strato surgit Palinurus, Verg. A. 3, 513; cf. id. ib. 8, 415; 3, 176: tale, Nep. Ages. 8: quies neque molli strato neque silentio arcessita, Liv. 21, 4, 7.—Plur.: strataque quae membris intepuere tuis, Ov. H. 10, 54: dura, id. Am. 1, 2, 2; Luc. 1, 239.—Once also (sc. lectus) in the masc., Favorin. ap. Gell. 15, 8, 2.—2. A horsecloth, housing, a saddle, Ov. M. 8, 33; Liv. 7, 14, 7; Sen. Ep. 80, 9; Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 202. —Prov.:
qui asinum non potest, stratum caedit (v. asinum), Petr. 45, 8.—3. A pavement:
saxea viarum, Lucr. 1, 315; 4, 415: extraneum, Petr. poët. 55, 6, 11.Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
sternō strāvī, strātus, ere
STER-, to spread out, spread abroad, stretch out, extend, strew, scatter : Sternitur in duro vellus solo, O.: virgas, strew , O.: passim poma, V.: corpora, stretch , L.: Sternimur gremio telluris, lie down , V.— To spread out, flatten, smooth, level : Sterneret aequor aquis, V.: straverunt aequora venti, V.: pontum, O.: odia militum, to calm, moderate , Ta.— To cover, spread, bestrew : foliis nemus tempestas Sternet, H.: Congeriem silvae vellere, O.: strati bacis agri, V.—Of a bed or couch, to cover, spread, prepare, arrange, make : lectus vestimentis stratus est, T.: pelliculis lectulos: torum frondibus, Iu.—Of a way, to cover, lay, pave : locum sternendum locare: via strata, L.: semitam saxo quadrato, L.—Of an animal, to saddle : equos, L.— To throw down, stretch out, lay low, throw to the ground, overthrow, prostrate, raze, level : catervas, L.: omnia ferro, L.: Ter leto sternendus erat, V.: Stravit humi pronam, O.: Primosque et extremos metendo Stravit humum, H.: Sternitur volnere, V.: Thyesten exitio gravi, H.: Strata belua texit humum, O.—Fig., to cast down, prostrate : adflictos se et stratos esse fateantur: mortalia corda Per gentīs humilīs stravit pavor, V.: haec omnia strata humi erexit, L.
Origins
- Proto-Indo-European*ster-
- Proto-Indo-European*sterh₃-
- Proto-Indo-European*str̥néh₃ti
- Proto-Italic*stornō
- Latinsternō
Inherited from Proto-Italic *stornō, from Proto-Indo-European *str̥néh₃ti, from *sterh₃- (“to spread”) + *-né- (nasal infix). Cognate with Sanskrit आस्तॄ (āstṝ, “spread”), Avestan 𐬯𐬙𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬥𐬁𐬌𐬙𐬌 (stər^ənāⁱti, “spread, extend”), Ancient Greek στόρνυμι (stórnumi, “scatter”), στρατός (stratós, “army, people, body of men”), Old Church Slavonic прострѣти (prostrěti, “stretch, expand”), просторъ (prostorŭ, “spaciousness”), Old English strewian (English strew), Old Norse strá.
Descendants
- Frenchéternirfrom Old French esternir
- Frenchétarnirfrom Old French esternir
- Frenchéterdrefrom Old French esternir
- Italiansternere
- Franco-Provençalêterdre
- Friulianstierni