dī-mŏvĕo, ōvi, ōtum (DISMOTUM, v. infra), 2, v. a. (in MSS. and edd. often confounded with demoveo, q. v.; not freq. before the Aug. per.; not in Caes. and Quint.; perh. not in Cic., where demovere appears everywhere to be the better reading).
- I. To move asunder, to part, put asunder, separate, divide: terram aratro, Verg. G. 2, 513; cf.: glebas aratro, Ov. M. 5, 341: aera (c. c. dispellere umbras), Verg. A. 5, 839; cf. auras, id. ib. 9, 645: cinerem foco, Ov. M. 8, 642: undas, Lucr. 6, 891; Ov. M. 4, 708; cf. aquas, id. H. 18, 80; 19, 48: rubum, Hor. C. 1, 23, 7.
Poet.: ubi sol radiis terram dimovit abortus (preceded by: ubi roriferis terram nox obruit umbris), cleaves the earth, lays it open, Lucr. 6, 869.
- B. Transf.
- 1. Of a multitude of persons or things, to separate from each other, to scatter, disperse, drive away, dismiss: humentem umbram polo, Verg. A. 3, 589; 4, 7; cf.: gelidam umbram caelo, id. ib. 11, 210: obstantes propinquos, Hor. C. 3, 5, 51: turbam, Tac. H. 3, 31; 80; Suet. Galb. 19; cf.: dimotis omnibus, Tac. H. 2, 49; cf.: VTEI EA BACANALIA SEI QVA SVNT … DISMOTA SIENT, i. e. be dissolved, abolished, S. C. de Bacchan. fin.
- 2. To separate from something, to remove.
- a. Lit.: quos (equites) spes societatis a plebe dimoverat, Sall. J. 42, 1; Plin. 8, 7, 7, § 23: dimovit perfregitque custodias Poena, Plin. Pan. 49: parietes (al. demotis), Tac. A. 6, 24: plagulas (lecticae), Suet. Tit. 10 al.
- b. Trop.: gaudentem patrios findere sarculo Numquam dimoveas, ut, etc., thou canst never entice away, in order to, etc., Hor. C. 1, 1, 13 (al. demo-).
- II. To move to and fro, to put in motion (cf. dimitto, no. I.—so perh. only in Celsus): superiores partes, Cels. 3, 27, 3: manus, id. 2, 14 fin.: se inambulatione levi, id. 4, 24 al.