rodo

rōdo, si, sum, 3, v. a. [cf. rado], to gnaw (class.).

I.

Lit.: rutabulum, Novat. ap. Fest. p. 262 Müll. (Com. Rel. p. 226 Rib.):

clipeos, etc. (mures),

Cic. Div. 2, 27, 59: praetextam, Poët. ap. Quint. 8, 3, 19:

dente pollicem,

Hor. Epod. 5, 48:

vivos ungues,

id. S. 1, 10, 71:

vitem (caper),

Ov. F. 1, 357:

saxa capellae,

id. M. 13, 691:

reliquias (mures),

Phaedr. 1, 22, 6:

rosus tineis,

Stat. S. 4, 9, 10. —

B.

Transf., to eat away, waste away, corrode, consume:

ripas (flumina),

Lucr. 5, 256:

ferrum (robigo),

Ov. P. 1, 1, 71:

tophum (calx),

Plin. 36, 22, 48, § 166. —

II.

Trop., to backbite, slander, disparage, etc. (syn. vellico):

in conviviis rodunt,

Cic. Balb. 26, 57:

absentem amicum,

Hor. S. 1, 4, 81:

libertino patre natum,

id. ib. 1, 6, 46:

cuncta robiginosis dentibus,

Mart. 5, 28, 7; cf.:

dentem dente,

i. e. to speak ill of each other, id. 13, 2, 6: murmura secum et rabiosa silentia rodunt, i. e. to mutter to one ' s self, Pers. 3, 81.