Latin

Alternative forms

• fostis rare

Noun

hostis m ‎(genitive hostis); third declension

1. an enemy of the state, a stranger
2. (plural only) the enemy

Inflection

Third declension i-stem.

Derived terms

• hospes

Descendants

References

• hostis in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• hostis in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• HOSTIS in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “hostis”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.
• Meissner, Carl; Auden, Henry William (1894) Latin Phrase-Book, London: Macmillan and Co.
  • to cut one's way (through the enemies' ranks): ferro viam facere (per confertos hostes)
    
  • the foe is at our heels, is upon us: hostis in cervicibus alicuius est
    
  • to try one's strength with the enemy; to try issue of battle: periculum hostis facere
    
  • to cut off all supplies of the enemy: intercludere, prohibere hostes commeatu
    
  • to surprise and defeat the enemy: opprimere hostes (imprudentes, incautos, inopinantes)
    
  • to make an inroad into hostile territory: excursionem in hostium agros facere
    
  • to offer battle to the enemy: potestatem, copiam pugnandi hostibus facere
    
  • to provoke the enemy to battle: proelio (ad pugnam) hostes lacessere, provocare
    
  • to not let the enemy escape: hostem e manibus non dimittere
    
  • to march on the enemy: gradum inferre in hostem
    
  • to attack the enemy: aggredi hostem
    
  • to attack the enemy: invadere, impetum facere in hostem
    
  • to attack the enemy: signa inferre in hostem
    
  • to rush into the midst of the foe: in medios hostes se inicere
    
  • to break through the enemy's centre: per medios hostes (mediam hostium aciem) perrumpere
    
  • to come to close quarters: manum (us) conserere cum hoste
    
  • to come to close quarters: signa conferre cum hoste
    
  • to attack the enemy in the front: adversis hostibus occurrere
    
  • to attack the enemy in the rear: aversos hostes aggredi
    
  • to attack the enemy in the rear: hostes a tergo adoriri
    
  • to fight a pitched, orderly battle with an enemy: iusto (opp. tumultuario) proelio confligere cum hoste (Liv. 35. 4)
    
  • to throw oneself on the enemy with drawn sword: strictis gladiis in hostem ferri
    
  • to fall upon the enemy's flank: in latus hostium incurrere
    
  • to surround the enemy from the rear: circumvenire hostem aversum or a tergo (B. G. 2. 26)
    
  • to be surrounded by the superior force of the enemy: multitudine hostium cingi
    
  • to be a match for the enemy: parem (opp. imparem) esse hosti
    
  • to repulse the enemy: pellere hostem
    
  • the enemy's line is repulsed: acies hostium impellitur
    
  • to drive the enemy from his position: loco movere, depellere, deicere hostem (B. G. 7. 51)
    
  • to repel the attack of the enemy's cavalry: summovere or reicere hostium equites
    
  • to repulse an attack: repellere, propulsare hostem
    
  • to rout the enemy: prosternere, profligare hostem
    
  • to put the enemy to flight: in fugam dare, conicere hostem
    
  • to put the enemy to flight: fugare hostem
    
  • to rout the enemy's forces: fundere hostium copias
    
  • to utterly rout the enemy: caedere et fundere hostem
    
  • to utterly rout the enemy: fundere et fugare hostem
    
  • to drive the enemy before one: prae se agere hostem
    
  • to run away from the enemy: terga dare hosti
    
  • to pursue the enemy: hostes insequi, prosequi
    
  • to follow up and harass the enemy when in flight: hostes (fusos) persequi
    
  • to overtake the enemy: hostes assequi, consequi
    
  • to be on the heels of the enemy: tergis hostium inhaerere
    
  • to bring the flying enemy to a stand: fugam hostium reprimere (B. G. 3. 14)
    
  • there was great slaughter of fugitives: magna caedes hostium fugientium facta est
    
  • to escape from the hands of the enemy: effugere, elābi e manibus hostium
    
  • to let the enemy escape: dimittere e manibus hostes
    
  • to rescue some one from the hands of the enemy: eripere aliquem e manibus hostium
    
  • to inflict a defeat on the enemy: cladem hostibus afferre, inferre
    
  • to annihilate, cut up the enemy, an army: hostes, exercitum delere, concīdere
    
  • to absolutely annihilate the enemy: hostes ad internecionem caedere, delere (Liv. 9. 26)
    
  • to absolutely annihilate the enemy: hostium copias occidione occīdere (Liv. 2. 51)
    
  • to gain a victory over the enemy: victoriam reportare ab hoste
    
  • to throw grappling irons on board; to board: in navem (hostium) transcendere
    
• hostis in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
• hostis in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin