Lewis & Short

ē-vello, velli (Cic. Sest. 28; id. de Or. 1, 53 fin.), post-class., vulsi (Flor. 4, 12, 38; Sen. ad Marc. Consol. 16, 7 al.), vulsum, 3, v. a., to tear, pull, or pluck out (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: linguam se evellisse M. Catoni, Cic. Sest. 28: ferrum, * Caes. B. G. 1, 25, 3: arborem, Liv. 33, 5: dentes, Plin. 30, 3, 8, § 25 et saep.: spinas agro, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 5; cf.: ebulum, cicutam e segete, Plin. 17, 9, 6 § 55: clavos sepulcris, id. 34, 15, 44, § 151: statuam de monumento, Dig. 47, 12, 2.
    Poet.: odorem e turis glebis (with divellere), Lucr. 3, 327: castra obsessa (sc. ex obsidione), i. e. to relieve, Sil. 7, 335.
    1. B. To drag away, tear away: ab altari eum, Vulg. Exod. 21, 14; cf.: lucos tuos de medio tui, id. Micah, 5, 13.
  2. II. Trop., to tear out, root out, eradicate, erase (a favorite word of Cicero): radicitus mala, Lucr. 3, 310: consules non modo ex memoria sed etiam ex fastis evellendi, Cic. Sest. 14 fin.: scrupulum ex animo, id. Rosc. Am. 2, 6; cf.: aculeum severitatis, id. Clu. 55, 152: omnem eorum importunitatem ex intimis mentibus, id. de Or. 1, 53, 230; cf. id. Clu. 1 fin.: iras (e pectore), Sil. 14, 183.