strife Copy link Outline I. An intellectual contest (a sense now almost obsol.1. līs, lītis, f. (in plur. in this sense)2. pugnaII. An angry dispute, a quarrel1. pugna2. discordia3. proelium • strife: I. An intellectual contest (a sense now almost obsol.: cf. "Doting about questions and strifes of words," 1 Tim. vi. 4): 1. līs, lītis, f. (in plur. in this sense): (of philosophers) to wear out their life in s.s, aetatem in litibus conterere, Cic. Leg. 1, 20, 53. 2. pugna: what a s. amongst the most learned men, quanta p. est doctissimorum hominum, id. Div. 2, 51, 105: the s. of forensic contests, forensium certaminum p., Quint. 5, 12, extr.: v. also controversy, contention, contest. II. An angry dispute, a quarrel: jurgium (v. quarrel, subs.): rixa (v. brawl, fray): discordia (v. discord, II., disagreement). Esp. Fig.: of the elements: 1. pugna: the s. of the universe with itself, rerum naturae p. secum, Plin. 2, 38, 38, § 102. 2. discordia: the s. of the sea, d. ponti, Lucan 5, 646: the s. of primary elements, d. principiorum, Lucr. 5, 441. 3. proelium: s.s of winds, ventorum proelia, Virg. G. 1, 318. Phr.: to cause s. among, serere causam discordiarum inter (with acc.: v. discord, II.): injicere certamen (with dat.), Liv. 34, 4, post med.: rixam ciere, Vell. 1, 2, med.: to be at s., certo, 1: e. g., so that expediency is at s. with moral rectitude, ut utilitas cum honestate certet, Cic. Part. Or. 25, 89: to allay s., discordias sedare s. componere, Cic.: Tac. (v. to allay): to cease from s. (may be expr. by) desisto, absisto, desino, etc. (v. to desist, cease), with abl. of subs. (with or without prep.): e. g., desistere de contentione, Nep. Tim. 2: or by such verbs foll. by inf. of verbs signifying to dispute, contend, quarrel, q. v.