English

Alternative forms

• fraenum, frænum (hypercorrect, nonstandard)

Noun

frenum ‎(plural frena or frenums)

1. A frenulum.

Latin

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- ‎(“to hold”), whence also ferē, fermē and firmus.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈfreː.num/

Noun

frēnum n ‎(genitive frēnī); second declension

1. A bridle, harness, curb, bit.
2. (figuratively) A means of guiding or governing; restraint, check, limit.
3. (by extension) That which holds things together; band.

Inflection

Second declension.

Derived terms

• frēniger
• frēnō

Related terms

Descendants

References

• frenum in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• frenum in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “frenum”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • (ambiguous) with loose reins: freno remisso; effusis habenis
    
• frenum in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• frenum in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin