ab-rumpo — Lewis & Short
ab-rumpo, ūpi, uptum, 3, v. a.,
I to break off something violently, to rend, tear, sever (poet.; seldom used before the Aug. per., only once in Cic., but afterw. by Verg., Ov., and the histt. often).
I Lit.: vincla abrupit equus (transl. of the Homeric desmo\n a)porrh/cas, Il. 6, 507), Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 3 (Ann. v. 509 Vahl.); so, nec Lethaea valet Theseus abrumpere caro vincula Pirithoo, * Hor. C. 4, 7, 27; cf. Verg. A. 9, 118:
abrupti nubibus ignes,torn from, Lucr. 2, 214; cf.
with the fig. reversed, in Verg.: ingeminant abruptis nubibus ignes, A. 3, 199: abrupto sidere,i. e. hidden by clouds, id. ib. 12, 451:
plebs velut abrupta a cetero populo,broken off, torn from, Liv. 3, 19, 9.—
II Trop.:
(legio Martia) se prima latrocinio Antonii abrupit,first freed itself, Cic. Phil. 14, 12:
abrumpere vitam,to break the thread of life, Verg. A. 8, 579; 9, 497;
so later, abrumpere fata,Sen. Herc. Oet. 893, or, medios annos, Luc. 6, 610:
abrumpere vitam a civitate,to leave it, in order to live elsewhere, Tac. A. 16, 28 fin.:
fas,to destroy, violate, Verg. A. 3, 55:
medium sermonem,to break off, interrupt, id. ib. 4, 388; cf.
abruptus: omnibus inter victoriam mortemve abruptis,since all means of escape, except victory or death, were taken from us, Liv. 21, 44, 8.—Hence, ab-ruptus, a, um, P. a., broken off from, separated, esp. of places, inaccessible, or difficult of access.
A Lit., of places, precipitous, steep (syn.:
praeceps, abscissus): locus in pedum mille altitudinem abruptus,Liv. 21, 36:
(Roma) munita abruptis montibus,Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 67; Tac. A. 2, 23:
petra undique abscissa et abrupta,Curt. 7, 11.—Also absol.: abruptum, i, n., a steep ascent or descent; cf. praeceps:
vastos sorbet in abruptum fluctus,she swallows down her gulf, Verg. A. 3, 422.—
B Trop., broken, disconnected, abrupt:
Sallustiana brevitas et abruptum sermonis genus,Quint. 4, 2, 45:
contumacia,stubborn, Tac. A. 4, 20.— Comp., Plin. 11, 37, 51, § 138; Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 1.—Sup., Plin. Ep. 9, 39, 5.—Absol.:
per abrupta,by rough, dangerous ways, Tac. Agr. 42 fin. (cf. supra: abrupta contumacia).—Adv.: abruptē.
1 Lit., in broken manner, here and there:
palantes flammarum ardores,Amm. 17, 7, 8.—
2 Trop., of conduct, hastily, inconsiderately, Just. 2, 15, 4;
of discourse,abruptly, Quint. 3, 8, 6; 4, 1, 79;
also,simply, Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 19.—Comp., Amm. 20, 11.