expugno

Expugno is a Latin verb meaning to storm or to take by assault, especially in the context of siege warfare. In classical sources it describes the act of capturing a fortified position by force.

Etymology and forms: The word is formed from ex- “out, forth” and pugno “to fight,” and it belongs to the first conjugation. The present active indicative forms include expugno (I storm), expugnas (you storm), expugnat (he storms); the first person plural is expugnamus, the second plural expugnatis, and the third plural expugnant. The perfect is expugnavi (I stormed); the supine is expugnatum, and the perfect passive participle is expugnatus. The related noun expugnatio denotes a siege or storming, and expugnabilis means “able to be stormed.”

Usage: Expugno is a common term in Latin military narratives for describing the capture of towns, camps, or fortified positions by force. A typical sentence might be Hostes castra expugnaverunt, “The enemy stormed the camps.” It appears in works on warfare by authors such as Livy and Caesar and is often used with concrete objects like castra, oppidum, or munimentum to indicate successful assault and capture.

Related terms: Expugnatio (a siege or storming operation) and expugnabilis (able to be stormed) are standard derivatives. The verb is primarily of historical and linguistic interest today, appearing in Latin grammars, dictionaries, and studies of ancient warfare.