Lewis & Short

dī-lŭo, ŭi, ūtum, 3, v. a., to wash to pieces, wash away; to dissolve, dilute, cause to melt away; to wash, drench (freq. and class.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Ingen.: ne aqua lateres diluere posset, * Caes. B. C. 2, 10, 6: sata laeta boumque labores, Verg. G. 1, 326; cf.: sanguine diluitur tellus, is soaked, Furius Antias ap. Gell. 18, 11, 4: unguenta lacrimis, Ov. P. 1, 9, 53: alvum helleboro, Gell. 17, 15, 4: vulnus cruris aceto, Petr. 136, 7; cf.: ulcus ovi albore, Scrib. Comp. 24: colorem, i. e. to wash out, weaken, Plin. 31, 7, 42, § 91; Ov. P. 4, 10, 62: amnes diluuntur, Plin. 31, 4, 29, § 52.
    2. B. In partic., to dissolve any thing in a liquid, i. e. to temper, dilute, mix: absinthia, Lucr. 4, 224; 6, 930; cf. venenum, Liv. 40, 4 fin.: helleborum, Pers. 5, 100: vinum, i. e. to dilute with water, Mart. 1, 107; v. under P. a.: favos lacte et miti Baccho (i. e. vino), Verg. G. 1, 344; cf.: Hymettia mella Falerno, Hor. S. 2, 2, 16: insignem bacam aceto, id. ib. 2, 3, 241: medicamentum aceto, Cels. 5, 20; Scrib. Comp. 158; 261 al.: circaeam in vino, Plin. 27, 8, 38, § 60: rutam cum mero, Col. 6, 4, 2: medicamentum ex aqua, Scrib. Comp. 247 et saep.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To weaken, lessen, impair; to do away with, remove: adversariorum confirmatio diluitur aut infirmatur aut elevatur, Cic. Inv. 1, 42: res leves infirmare ac diluere (opp. confirmare), id. Rosc. Am. 15; Quint. 9, 2, 80: molestias omnes (c. c. extenuare), Cic. Tusc. 3, 16; cf.: curam multo mero, Ov. A. A. 238: seriorem horam mero, id. H. 19, 14: vitium ex animo (Bacchus), Prop. 3, 17, 6 (4, 16, 6 M.): crimen, Cic. Mil. 27; id. Brut. 80, 278; Liv. 4, 14; Quint. 7, 10, 12 (opp. obicere); 9, 2, 53 (c. c. negare) et saep.; cf. also Cic. Cael. 15; Liv. 45, 10; Quint. 4, 2, 26; Ov. R. Am. 695 et saep.: invidiam aliqua cavillatione, Suet. Vesp. 23: injurias aere pauco, to atone for, Gell. 20, 1, 31: omnes affectuum vires, Quint, 11, 1, 52: ejus auctoritatem, Sen. Ep. 29: memoriam tam praeclarae rei, Val. Max. 9, 2, 1.
    2. * B. Analog. with its synon. dissolvere, to solve a difficulty, i. e. to explain: mi, quod rogavi, dilue, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 64.
      Hence,