1. lĕvo — Lewis & Short
lĕvo, āvi, ātum, 1 (old form of
I fut. perf. levasso, Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 1), v. a. 1. levis, to lift up, raise, elevate (syn.: extollo, erigo).
I Lit. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose):
ter sese attollens cubitoque annixa levavit,Verg. A. 4, 690:
se de caespite,to rise, Ov. M. 2, 427:
se saxo,id. F. 4, 528:
cum se matura levarit progenies (avium),Juv. 14, 83:
apis se confestim levat sublimius,Col. 9, 12, 1; Plin. 2, 16, 13, § 69; 36, 16, 24, § 122:
per hiemem, quae altius levat Alpes, i. e. by the snow,Flor. 3, 3, 11.—
B Transf.
1 To make lighter, lighten, to relieve, ease: cantantes ut eamus, ego te fasce levabo, Verg. E. 9, 65:
serpentum colla levavit,i. e. alighted from the dragon-car, Ov. M. 8, 798:
dentes,to clean the teeth, Mart. 14, 22:
vesicam,Spart. Carac. 7:
jactatur rerum utilium pars maxima, sed nec damna levant,do not lighten the ship, Juv. 12, 53.—
2 To take away, take:
furcā levat ille bicorni sordida terga suis,takes down, Ov. M. 8, 647:
alicui manicas atque arcta Vincla,Verg. A. 2, 146:
tributum,to raise, levy, Dig. 50, 15, 4, § 2.—
II Trop., to lighten, relieve, console, refresh, support a person or thing with any thing (freq. and class.). —Of a personal object:
non nihil enim me levant tuae litterae hoc tempore,Cic. Att. 11, 8, 1.—Of things as objects: O Tite, si quid te adjuero curamve levasso, Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 1 (Ann. v. 339 Vahl.); so,
auxilio viros,Verg. A. 2, 452; 4, 538:
curam et angorem animi sermone et consilio,Cic. Att. 1, 18, 1:
molestias,id. Fam. 4, 3, 2:
fonte sitim,to slake, Ov. Tr. 4, 8, 26:
arida ora aqua,to refresh, id. R. Am. 230; so,
membra gramine,id. F. 6, 328.— Pass.:
levantur tamen miserae civitates, quod nullus fit sumptus in nos,Cic. Att. 5, 16, 3.—
B Transf.
1 To lighten, lessen, alleviate, mitigate (cf.:
laxo, libero): meam egestatem,Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 62:
alicui paupertatem,id. Ep. 4, 1, 33:
morbum,id. Mil. 4, 6, 57:
inopiam multum,Caes. B. C. 3, 48, 1:
salutari arte fessos Corporis artus,Hor. C. S. 63:
morbi vim levaturus,Curt. 3, 6, 2:
levavitque apertis horreis pretia frugum,reduced, Tac. A. 2, 59:
vario viam sermone,Verg. A. 8, 309:
injurias,Caes. B. C. 1, 9:
suspicionem,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 59, § 136:
ut sumptus levaretur,Plin. Ep. 10, 43 (52), 2:
calamitatem innocentium,Cic. Rosc. Am. 3, 7:
his levabat omnem vulnerum metum nobilitas mortis,id. Tusc. 2, 24, 59:
qui paupertatem levet propinqui,Juv. 14, 236.—
2 To lessen, diminish, weaken, impair: cave lassitudo poplitum cursum levet, Att. ap. Non. 336, 29:
laudem alicujus,id. ib. 31:
inconstantiā levatur auctoritas,Cic. Ac. 2, 22, 69:
multa fidem promissa levant,Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 10.—
3 To relieve, release, discharge, free from any thing.
(a) With abl.:
leva me hoc onere,Cic. Fam. 3, 12, 3:
aliquem miseriis,id. ib. 3, 8:
me molestia,id. ib. 16, 9, 2:
aliquem metu,Liv. 2, 22:
animos religione,id. 21, 62; cf.:
qui hac opinione non modo verbis, sed etiam opere levandi sunt,Cic. Lael. 20, 72:
ut homines populares supplicio aut exsilio levarentur,Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 6, § 13:
se aere alieno,id. Att. 6, 2, 4:
se infamiā,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 61, § 141: se vitā, Varr. ap. Non. 336, 33.—*
(b) With gen.:
ut me omnium jam laborum levas,Plaut. Rud. 1, 4, 27.—
4 To avert:
omen,Verg. A. 3, 36:
ictum dextra,Hor. C. 2, 17, 28.