1. dēlĕo — Lewis & Short
dēlĕo, lēvi, lētum, 2 (
I perf. sync. delerunt, Cic. Red. in Sen. 2, 4:
delerit,Cic. Cat. 4, 9, 19; id. Balb. 19, 43:
delerat,id. Fam. 15, 5, 3:
delerant,id. Sest. 19, 44; plqpf. subj. sync. delesset, Val. Max. 3, 7; Liv. 27, 40, 4; part. perf. dēlĭtus: litterae delitae, Varr. ap. Diom. p. 372: epistola delita, Calvus ib.; Cic. Ep. ap. Prisc. p. 873; cf. 1. aboleo), v. a. Sanscr. R. lī, adhere; cf.: vi-lī, dissolve; Gr. li/mnh, limh/n, leimw/n, etc.; Lat. lino, perf. levi; polio, etc.; cf. also Gr. limo/s, Lat. lētum, to abolish, destroy, annihilate (freq. and class.; cf.: eluo, diluo, diruo, exstinguo, everto, demolior, destruo).
I Of objects not personal:
si certo tempore luna Gignitur et certo deletur tempore rursus,Lucr. 5, 748 (for which, shortly before, nova luna creari ... aborisci):
si Juppiter saepe urbes delevit, fruges perdidit, etc.,Cic. Rosc. Am. 45, 131; so,
urbem Numantiam, Carthaginem, etc.,Caes. B. C. 2, 12 fin.; Cic. Cat. 4, 10, 21; Sall. J. 8, 2; Hor. Od. 3, 6, 14; Ov. M. 13, 219 al.; cf.:
magnam Graeciam,Cic. Lael. 4, 13:
nomen Aequorum prope ad internecionem,Liv. 9, 45;
and, Volscum nomen,id. 3, 8:
sepulcrum,Cic. Leg. 2, 26:
aedificia,id. Agr. 2, 32 fin. al.:
epistulas,id. Fam. 7, 18, 2; so of the blotting out, effacing, obliterating, of writing, id. ib. 14, 3; id. Clu. 14, 41; id. Rosc. Com. 2 fin.; Quint. 10, 3, 31; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 69; id. A. P. 389; Ov. M. 9, 524; Vulg. Apoc. 3, 5:
stigmata in facie,Plin. 25, 13, 110, § 175:
radices,Col. 11, 3, 56 al. —
B Trop., to finish, stop, terminate, end:
praesentia, futura bella,Cic. Lael. 3, 11:
omnes leges una rogatione,id. Sest. 26:
omnia morte, id. Lael, 4, 13: omnem memoriam discordiarum oblivione sempiterna,id. Phil. 1, 1; cf. id. Deiot. 13, 37:
nec si quid olim lusit Anacreon, Delevit aetas,Hor. Od. 4, 9, 10;
trop.: deleo omnes dehinc ex animo mulieres (i. e. memoriam mulierum),Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 5:
veritatem (simulatio),Cic. Lael. 25, 92:
omnem molestiam,id. Q. Fr. 3, 8:
improbitatem (with exstinguere),id. Div. in Caecil. 8, 26; cf.:
turpitudinem fugae virtute,Caes. B. G. 2, 27:
priorem ignominiam,Liv. 39, 30.—
II Of personal objects:
dispersis ac paene deletis hostibus,destroyed, annihilated, Caes. B. G. 6, 36, 2;
so milit.,id. ib. 6, 37, 7; id. B. C. 3, 70; Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 8, 21; id. Mur. 35 fin.; id. Vat. 10, 24 init.; Tac. A. 4, 51; Verg. A. 11, 898 al.:
homines morte deletos,Cic. N. D. 1, 15:
toto animante deleto,id. Tusc. 1, 37, 90;
rarely of a single person: C. Curionem,id. Vat. 10, 24 fin.