praecaedit

prae-cīdo (old form praecaedit, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 13, 18), cīdi, cīsum, 3, v. a. [caedo], to cut off in front; hence, in gen., to cut off.

I.

Lit. (class.); constr. with acc. alone, or with acc. and dat. or gen. of person.

(α).

With acc. and dat.:

linguam alicui,

Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 12:

manum alicui gladio,

Cic. Inv. 2, 20, 59:

aures, nasum et labia alicui,

Just. 1, 10, 5.—

(β).

With acc. and gen.:

collegae sui praecidi caput jussit,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 19, 55:

quae patrem occiderit, manus ejus praecidantur,

Sen. Contr. 9, 27, 8.—

(γ).

With acc.:

manus,

Hirt. B. G. 8, 44:

caput, Quadrig. ap. Gell. l. l.: capita,

Petr. 1:

medici membra praecidunt,

Quint. 8, 3, 75:

capillos,

id. ib. 8, 3, 105:

ancoras,

to cut the cables, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 34, § 88:

fistulas, quibus aqua suppeditatur,

id. Rab. Perd. 11, 31:

traducem,

Plin. 17, 23, 35, § 211.—

B.

Transf.

1.

To cut through, cut up (class.):

cotem novaculā,

Cic. Div. 1, 17, 32:

linguam Nicanoris praecisam jussit particulatim avibus dari,

Vulg. 2 Macc. 15, 33:

naves,

to cripple, make unfit for service, Cic. Att. 9, 6, 3.—

2.

To beat to pieces, to batter, smash (ante-class.):

praecide os tu illi,

Plaut. Cas. 2, 6, 52 (dub.; cf. id. Pers. 2, 4, 12 Ritschl).—

3.

Praecidere sinum maris, to cut off, avoid, i. e. to sail straight (postAug.), Sen. Ep. 53, 1: medium mare, Auct. Quint. Decl. 12, 22; cf.

iter,

Plin. 8, 22, 34, [p. 1413] § 83.—

II.

Trop., to cut off, to take away.

A.

Of speech, to cut short, abridge; to cut short one's words, to be brief, break off or finish abruptly:

dum te obtuetur, interim linguam oculi praeciderunt,

Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 56:

maximam partem defensionis,

Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 62, § 151:

sibi licentiam libertatemque vivendi,

id. ib. 2, 3, 1, §

3: sibi reditum,

id. Pis. 22, 51:

per abscissionem significatio fit, si, cum incipimus aliquid dicere, praecidimus,

Auct. Her. 4, 54, 67:

brevi praecidam,

in a word, in short, briefly, Cic. Sen. 16, 57:

praecide, inquit,

cut it short, be brief, id. Ac. 2, 43, 133.—

B.

To break off, cut off, end, destroy; esp. with spem:

si non praeciditur spes plebeio quoque, apiscendi summi honoris,

Liv. 4, 3, 7:

praecisa consulatūs spes erit,

id. 4, 3, 15; 24, 31, 12; 42, 50, 1:

id sum assecutus, ut una hora perdito spem judicii corrumpendi praeciderem,

Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 7, § 20:

utrum spem nostram praecidat an differat,

Sen. Ira, 3, 28, 4; id. Ben. 2, 5, 1.—Also of friendship, etc.: amicitias repente praecidere, to break off suddenly (opp. sensim dissuere), Cic. Off. 1, 33, 120.—

C.

To deny flatly, refuse, decline, etc.:

plane sine ullā exceptione praecidit,

flatly refused, Cic. Att. 8, 4, 2:

cupiebam eum esse nobiscum: quod quia praeciderat,

id. ib. 10, 16, 1.—Hence, praecīsus, a, um, P. a.

A.

Lit., cut or torn off, separated ( poet. ):

Trinacria Italiā praecisa,

Manil. 4, 630.— Subst.: praecī-sum, i, n., a piece of meat cut off, a cutlet, steak (ante-class.), Naev. ap. Non. 151, 2: praeciso capi, Lucil. ib.—

2.

Transf.

a.

Castrated (post-class.):

fanatici,

Lampr. Elag. 7:

praecisi ac professi impudientiam,

Sen. Prov. 5, 3.—

b.

Broken off, steep, abrupt, precipitous ( poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

acuta silex praecisis undique saxis,

Verg. A. 8, 233:

iter,

Sall. J. 92, 7:

rupes,

Quint. 12, 9, 2.—

B.

Trop.

1.

Shortened, short, brief (post-Aug.):

praecisis conclusionibus obscuri,

Quint. 10, 2, 17:

comprehensio,

id. 7, 3, 15.—

2.

Troublesome (postclass.):

ut sub obtentu militiae praecisiorem se adversario faceret (al. pretiosiorem),

Dig. 49, 16, 4.—Hence, adv.: prae-cīsē.

1.

In short, in few words, briefly, concisely (class.):

praecise dicere (opp. plene et perfecte dicere),

Cic. N. D. 2, 29, 73.—

2.

Positively, absolutely (class.):

praecise negare alicui,

Cic. Att. 8, 4, 2:

non praecise, sed sub condicione,

Dig. 36, 3, 1.