Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Praepilatus

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. 

PRAEPILA'TUS (with the antepenult short), designates a weapon for thrusting, which has its point muffled with a button or ball (pila), like our foils, to prevent it from inflicting wounds, whilst the soldiers were learning their exercises, or exhibiting in sham-fights and reviews. Liv. xxvi. 51. Hirt. B. Afr. 72. Quint. v. 12. 7.

2. Praepilatus (with the antepenult long) which is derived from pilum, means simply discharged. Ammian. xxiv. 6. 10. Compare xvi. 12. 36.