adtero

at-tĕro ( adt-, Dietsch), trīvi, trītum, 3, v. a. ( perf. inf. atteruisse, Tib. 1, 4, 48; cf. Vell. Long. p. 2234 P.), to rub one thing against another; hence, in gen., to rub away, wear out or diminish by rubbing, to waste, wear away, weaken, impair, exhaust.

I.

Lit. (most freq. after the Aug. per.; in Cic. only once as P. a.; v. infra): insons Cerberus leniter atterens caudam, rubbing against or upon (sc. Herculi), * Hor. C. 2, 19, 30:

asinus spinetis se scabendi causā atterens,

Plin. 10, 74, 95, § 204: aures, * Plaut. Pers. 4, 9, 11 (cf. antestor):

bucula surgentes atterat herbas,

tramples upon, Verg. G. 4, 12:

opere insuetas atteruisse manus,

Tib. 1, 4, 48; so Prop. 5, 3, 24, and Plin. 2, 63, 63, § 158; so,

dentes usu atteruntur,

id. 7, 16, 15, § 70:

attrivit sedentis pedem,

Vulg. Num. 22, 25:

vestem,

Dig. 23, 3, 10; Col. 11, 2, 16;

Cels. praef.: vestimenta,

Vulg. Deut. 29, 5; ib. Isa. 51, 6.— Poet., of sand worn by the water flowing over it:

attritas versabat rivus harenas,

Ov. M. 2, 456.—

II.

Trop., to destroy, waste, weaken, impair:

postquam utrimque legiones item classes saepe fusae fugataeque et alteri alteros aliquantum adtriverant,

Sall. J. 79, 4:

magna pars (exercitūs) temeritate ducum adtrita est,

id. ib. 85, 46:

Italiae opes bello,

id. ib. 5, 4; so Tac. H. 1, 10; 1, 89; 2, 56; Curt. 4, 6 fin.; cf. Sil. 2, 392 Drak.:

nec publicanus atterit (Germanos),

exhausts, drains, Tac. G. 29:

famam atque pudorem,

Sall. C. 16, 2:

et vincere inglorium et atteri sordidum arbitrabatur,

and to suffer injury in his dignity, Tac. Agr. 9 Rupert.:

eo tempore, quo praecipue alenda ingenia atque indulgentiā quādam enutrienda sunt, asperiorum tractatu rerum atteruntur,

are enfeebled, Quint. 8, prooem. 4:

filii ejus atterentur egestate,

Vulg. Job, 20, 10:

Nec res atteritur longo sufflamine litis,

Juv. 16, 50.— Hence, attrītus, a, um, P. a., rubbed off, worn off or away, wasted.

A.

Lit.

1.

In gen.: ut rictum ejus (simulacri) ac mentum paulo sit attritius, * Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43:

ansa,

Verg. E. 6, 17:

vomer,

worn bright, id. G. 1, 46; cf. Juv. 8, 16 Rupert.:

caelaturae,

Plin. 33, 12, 55, § 157; Petr. 109, 9.—

2.

In medicine, attritae partes or subst. attrita, ōrum, n. (sc. membra), bruised, excoriated parts of the body:

medetur et attritis partibus sive oleo etc.,

Plin. 24, 7, 28, § 43:

attritis medetur cinis muris silvatici etc.,

id. 30, 8, 22, § 70.—

B.

Trop.: attrita frons, a shameless, impudent face (lit. a smooth face, to which shame no longer clings; cf. perfrico), Juv. 13, 242 Rupert.; so,

domus Israël attritā fronte,

Vulg. Ezech. 3, 7.— Sup. and adv. not used.