vello

vello, vulsi, vulsum ( perf. velli, Calp. Ecl. 4, 155; Prisc. 10, 6, 36, p. 897 P.; Diom. 1, p. 369 ib.; ante-class. form of sup. volsum; v. Neue, Formenl. 2, p. 576), 3, v. a. [prob. akin to hel-kô].

I.

Prop.

A.

Of animals, to pluck or pull, i. e. to deprive of the hair, feathers, etc.:

oves,

Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 9; Plin. 8, 48, 73, § 190:

anseres,

id. 10, 22, 27, § 53.—

B.

Of things.

1.

In gen., to pluck, pull, or tear out, away, or up; in simple constr.:

plumas anserum,

Col. 8, 13, 3:

caudae pilos equinae,

Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 45:

barbam,

id. S. 1, 3, 133:

tot spicula,

Verg. A. 10, 889:

comam,

Mart. 5, 37, 19:

cuneum vellito, statimque surculos in ea foramina immittito,

Col. 5, 11, 5; cf. id. Arb. 26, 4: signa, to take up, i. e. march, Verg. A. 11, 19; cf.:

ut vellerent signa et Romam proficiscerentur,

Liv. 3, 50, 11:

mors viscera vulsit,

Luc. 6, 546.—With ab and abl.:

postes a cardine vellit,

Verg. A. 2, 480:

albos a stirpe capillos,

Prop. 3 (4), 25, 13:

asparagum ab radice,

Plin. 19, 8, 42, § 149.—With abl. alone:

aut castris audebit vellere signa,

Verg. G. 4, 108:

genae florem primaevo corpore vulsit,

Luc. 6, 562:

adfixam oculo sagittam,

id. 6, 218:

vulsis pectore telis,

id. 6, 232; cf.:

unguibus et raras vellentem dentibus herbas,

Ov. M. 8,800.—With de and abl.:

hastam... de cespite vellit,

Verg. A. 11, 566:

herbas de caespite,

Luc. 4, 414.—

2.

Esp.

a.

To pluck, pull, or tear down or away:

cum pars vellerent vallum, atque in fossas proruerent,

Liv. 9, 14, 9; 10, 2, 5:

munimenta,

id. 2, 25, 3.—

b.

To pluck, pull, pick, or gather fruit, etc.:

modo nata malā vellere poma manu,

Tib. 3, 5, 20.—

c.

To pull, twitch, etc.:

aurem,

Verg. E. 6, 4; cf. id. Cop. 38; Calp. Ecl. 4, 155; Amm. 22, 3, 12:

vellere coepi Et prensare manu lentissima bracchia,

Hor. S. 1, 9, 63:

latus digitis,

Ov. A. A. 1, 606.—

d.

To be plucked or pulled, i. e. to have the hair pulled out by the roots:

circa corporis curam morosior, ut non solum tonderetur diligenter ac raderetur, sed velleretur etiam,

Suet. Caes. 45.—

II.

Trop., to tear, torment:

sed mea secreto velluntur pectora morsu,

Stat. S. 5, 2, 3.—Hence, P. a.: vulsus ( volsus ), a, um.

A.

Lit., shorn, plucked, smooth, beardless, hairless:

istum gallum Glabriorem reddes mihi quam volsus ludiust,

Plaut. Aul. 2, 9, 6:

vulsi levatique et inustas comas acu comentes,

Quint. 2, 5, 12:

corpus vulsum,

id. 5, 9, 14:

eadem (corpora) si quis vulsa atque fucata muliebriter comat,

id. 8, prooem. 19:

nepos,

Prop. 4 (5), 8, 23.—

2.

Trop., effeminate:

mens,

Mart. 2, 36, 6.—

B.

Suffering convulsions, spasmodic, Plin. 21, 19, 74, § 126; 23, 1, 16, § 25.