Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Murcus

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

MURCUS. A nickname given to those who maimed themselves by cutting off their thumbs in order to escape from military service. (Ammian. xv. 12. 5.) This appears to have been not an uncommon practice (Aelian. Variar. ii. 9. Suet. Aug. 24. 27 Plut. Lysand. Cod. Theodos. 7. 13. 4, 5. and 10.); and to it our term poltroon owes its origin through the Italian poltrone, abbreviated from pollice trunco.