deleo

dēlĕo, lēvi, lētum, 2 ( 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. limnê, limên, leimôn, etc.; Lat. lino, perf. levi; polio, etc.; cf. also Gr. limos, 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.