Lewis & Short

pello, pĕpŭli, pulsum, 3 (pluperf. pulserat, Amm. 30, 5, 19), v. a. [kindred with Gr. πάλλω, πέλω], to beat, strike, knock any thing or at any thing; to push, drive, hurl, impel, propel.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (mostly poet.; syn.: trudo, percutio): pueri pulsi, Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 48: pectora pellite tonsis, Enn. ap. Fest. s. v. tonsa, p. 356 Müll. (Ann. v. 235 Vahl.): terram pede, Lucr. 5, 1402: ter pede terram (in the tripudium), Hor. C. 3, 18, 15: humum pedibus, Cat. 61, 14: fores, Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 4; 5, 3, 2: impetu venientium pulsae fores, Tac. A. 11, 37: spumat sale rate pulsum, Enn. ap. Gell. 2, 26 (Ann. v. 378 Vahl.); cf.: unda pulsa remis, Cic. Ac. Fragm. ap. Non. 162, 30; so, vada remis, Cat. 64, 58: (arbor) ventis pulsa, Lucr. 5, 1096.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To drive out or away, to thrust or turn out, expel, banish; esp. milit., to drive back, discomfit, rout the enemy (freq. and class.; syn.: fugo, elimino, deicio); constr. with abl., with ex, rarely with de; also with ab and abl. of the place from which one is repelled or driven back, but has not entered: cum viri boni lapidibus e foro pellerentur, Cic. Pis. 10, 23; so, omnes ex Galliae finibus, Caes. B. G. 1, 31, 11; and: praesidium ex arce, Nep. Pelop. 3 fin.: a foribus, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 113: istum ab Hispaniā, Cic. Att. 10, 8, 2: patriis ab agris Pellor, Ov. M. 14, 477; cf. Ter. Eun. 2, 1, 9: aliquem a sacris, Ov. Ib. 624: possessores suis sedibus, Cic. Off. 2, 22, 78: aliquem sedibus, Sall. J. 41, 8: aliquem possessionibus, Cic. Mil. 27, 74: aliquem civitate, id. Par. 4, 1, 27: loco, Liv. 10, 6: patria, Nep. Arist. 1: aliquem regno, Hor. S. 1, 6, 13; Just. 35, 1, 3.
        Of inanim. objects: aquam de agro, Plin. 18, 26, 62, § 230: tecta, quibus frigorum vis pelleretur, Cic. Off. 2, 11, 13: placidam nives pectore aquam, Tib. 1, 4, 12; 3, 5, 30: calculos e corpore, Plin. 22, 21, 30, § 64.
        Without indicating the place whence: qui armis perterritus, fugatus, pulsus est, Cic. Caecin. 11, 31: hostes pelluntur, Caes. B. G. 7, 62, 3; cf.: milites pulsi fugatique, Sall. J. 74, 3: exsules tyrannorum injuriā pulsi, driven out, banished, Liv. 34, 26, 12: Athenienses Diagoram philosophum pepulerunt, Val. Max. 1, 1, 7 ext.
        With abl. of manner: pudendis Volneribus pulsus, Verg. A. 11, 56; cf.: si fugisset vulneratus a tergo, etc., Serv. ad loc.
        Specifying the place whither: miles pellitur foras, Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 11: in exsilium pulsus, Cic. de Or. 2, 13, 56.
      2. 2. In milit. lang., to rout, put to flight, discomfit: exercitum ejus ab Helvetiis pulsum et sub jugum missum, Caes. B. G. 1, 7, 4: compluribus his proeliis pulsis, id. ib. 1, 10, 5: Romanos pulsos superatosque, id. ib. 2, 24 fin., etc.; 1, 52; Liv. 2, 50; Just. 1, 6, 13; 2, 12, 26.
      3. 3. To strike, set in motion, impel: inpello, sagitta pulsa manu, Verg. A. 12, 320.
      4. 4. Of a musical instrument, to strike the chords, play: nervi pulsi, struck, Cic. Brut. 54, 199: lyra pulsa manu, Ov. M. 10, 205; cf.: classica pulsa, i. e. blown, Tib. 1, 1, 4.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to strike, touch, move, affect, impress, etc. (class.): totum corpus hominis et ejus omnis vultus omnesque voces, ut nervi in fidibus, ita sonant, ut a motu animi quoque sunt pulsae, Cic. de Or. 3, 57, 216; cf. of sound: Ille canit, pulsae referunt ad sidera valles, Verg. E. 6, 84: sonat amnis, et Asia longe Pulsa palus, id. A. 7, 702: quemadmodum visa nos pellerent, Cic. Ac. 2, 10, 30; cf.: visa enim ista cum acriter mentem sensumve pepulerunt, id. ib. 2, 20, 66; id. Fin. 2, 10, 32: quod (dictum) cum animos hominum aurisque pepulisset, id. Or. 53, 177: species utilitatis pepulit eum, id. Off. 3, 10, 41: fit saepe, ut pellantur animi vehementius, id. Div. 1, 36, 80: nec habet ullum ictum, quo pellat animum, id. Fin. 2, 10, 32: nulla me ipsum privatim pepulit insignis injuria, id. Fam. 4, 13, 2: ipsum in Hispaniā juvenem nullius forma pepulerat captivae, Liv. 30, 14, 3: non mediocri curā Scipionis animum pepulit, id. 30, 14, 1: pulsusque residerat ardor, Ov. M. 7, 76: longi sermonis initium pepulisti, you have struck the chord of a long discussion, Cic. Brut. 87, 297.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To drive out or away, to banish, expel: maestitiam ex animis, Cic. Fin. 1, 13, 43: procul a me dolorem, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 27: pulsus Corde dolor, Verg. A. 6, 382: glandt famem, Ov. M. 14, 216; so, sitim, Hor. C. 2, 2, 14: frigoris vim tectis, Cic. Off. 2, 4, 13: somnum, Sil. 7, 300; Col. poët. 10, 69: Phoebeā morbos arte, Ov. F. 3, 827: vino curas, Hor. C. 1, 7, 31: moram, Ov. M. 2, 838: dolore pulsa est amentia, id. ib. 5, 511: turpia crimina a vobis, id. A. A. 3, 379: umbras noctis, Cat. 63, 41: sidera, Ov. M. 2, 530: nubila, id. ib. 6, 690: tenebras, id. ib. 7, 703; 15, 651.
      2. 2. To beat, conquer, overcome (very rare): si animus hominem pepulit, actum’st: animo servit, non sibi; Sin ipse animum pepulit, vivit, victor victorum cluet, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 27 sq.: alicui pudicitiam, id. Ep. 4, 1, 15.