Lewis & Short

prō-sterno, strāvi, strātum, 3, v. a., to strew in front of, to strew before one; also, to throw to the ground, throw down, overthrow, prostrate (syn.: fundo, profligo, provolvo).

  1. I. Lit.: eo prosternebant folia farferi, Plaut. Poen. 2, 31 (al. praesternebant): ceteros rueremet prosternerem, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 21: pondere silvam, Ov. M. 8, 776: prostraturus humi corpus, Curt. 8, 5, 6; cf. Liv. 9, 6: se ad pedes alicujus, Cic. Phil. 2, 18, 45; so, prosternere se et supplicare alicui, id. Planc. 20, 50: his auditis prostraverant se omnes humi, Liv. 45, 20, 9: hostem prostravit, fudit, occidit, Cic. Phil. 14, 10, 27: hostem ferro, Sil. 7, 397: legio prosternitur latis arvis, Val. Fl. 6, 508: telo virum, id. ib. 3, 185: lapsu equi prostratus, Tac. H. 4, 34.
  2. II. Trop.
      1. 1. To throw to the ground, to overthrow, subvert, ruin, destroy, etc. (freq. and class.): omnia cupiditate ac furore, Cic. Clu. 6, 15; 31, 70; cf.: jacet ille nunc prostratus, id. Cat. 2, 1, 2; and: afflicta ct prostrata virtus, id. de Or. 2, 52, 211; id. Leg. 2, 17, 42: malevolorum obtrectationes, Vatin. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 9, 1: mores civitatis, Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 113: carminum studium, Tac. Or 11: se prosternere, to demean or debase one’s self, Cic. Par. 1, 14: prostrata est Philisthaea omnis, Vulg. Isa. 14, 31.
      2. 2. To prostitute, Suet. Caes. 2; id. Tib. 35; id. Calig. 24; Just. 12, 7, 11; Arn. 2, 73 (in Plin Pan. 31 the true read. is praesterni).