dē-testor — Lewis & Short
dē-testor, ātus, 1,
I v. dep. a.
I In relig. lang.
A To curse while calling a deity to witness, i. e. to execrate, abominate (for syn. cf.:
abominari, adversari, abhorrere, horrere, devovere, execrari): cum (te) viderunt, tamquam auspicium malum detestantur,Cic. Vatin. 16, 39: omnibus precibus detestatus Ambiorigem, * Caes. B. G. 6, 31 fin.; cf.:
caput euntis hostili prece,Ov. M. 15, 505:
dira exsecratio ac furiale carmen detestandae familiae stirpique compositum,Liv. 10, 41:
exitum belli civilis,Cic. Phil. 8, 2 fin. et saep.—
b To call to witness, = testor, obtestor:
summum Jovem, deosque,Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 60. —
B To call down upon, denounce while invoking a deity:
minas periculaque in caput eorum,Liv. 39, 10, 2:
deorum iram in caput infelicis pueri,Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 6.—
C To hate intensely, detest, abominate, abhor:
causam auctoremque cladis,Tac. H. 2, 35 fin.:
civilia arma adeo detestari,felt such abhorrence for, Suet. Oth. 10:
sortem populi Romani,id. Claud. 3: viam pravam Vulg. Prov. 3, 13.—
II Transf., to avert from one's self by entreaty, to ward off, avert, remove, sc. an evil from one's self or others, = deprecari, to deprecate:
ut a me quandam prope justam patriae querimoniam detester ac deprecer,Cic. Cat. 1, 11:
memoriam consulatus tui a republica,id. Pis. 40, 96:
invidiam,id. N. D. 1, 44, 123:
o di immortales, avertite ac detestamini hoc omen,id. Phil. 4, 4, 10.—
III In judic. lang., to renounce solemnly or under oath:
detestatum est testatione denuntiatum,Dig. 50, 16, 238; cf.
ib. § 40, and detestatio, II.: Servius Sulpicius in libro de sacris detestandis, etc.,Gell. 7, 12, 1.!*? In a pass. sense, Ap. Mag. p. 307, 24; August. Ep. ad Macr. 255.—Esp., in the part. perf., detested, abominated:
detestata omnia ejusmodi repudianda sunt,Cic. Leg. 2, 11, 28:
bella matribus detestata,Hor. Od. 1, 1, 25.