Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Centonarii

Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary, and Greek Lexicon (Rich, 1849)

CENTONA'RII. Piece-brokers, and persons who made and sold pieces of patchwork, made up from old cast-off garments; the dealing in which formed a regular trade at Rome, where such economical articles were extensively used for blankets to extinguish conflagrations (Ulp. Dig. 33. 7. 12.); to protect tents and military machines against an enemy's missiles (Caes. B. C. ii. 9.), and other purposes enumerated in CENTO.