ex-ĕdo, ēdi, ēsum (exessum, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 5), 3 (archaic praes. subj. exedint, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 32. Post-class. form of the praes. ind. exedit, for exest, Sen. Q. N. 4, 2, 10; Seren. Sammon. 7), v. a., to eat up, devour, consume (class.).
- I. Lit.: intestina, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 32: frumentum quod curculiones exesse incipiunt, Varr. R. R. 1, 63, 1; Col. 1, 6, 16: serpens, qui jecur ejus exesset, Hyg. Fab. 55.
Proverb.: tute hoc intristi; tibi omne est exedendum, as you have cooked, so you must eat, Ter. Ph. 2, 2, 4; cf.: tibi quod intristi, exedendum est, Aus. Idyll. Prooem. 5.
- B. Transf., in gen., to eat up, consume, destroy: deus id eripiet, vis aliqua conficiet aut exedet, Cic. Div. 2, 16, 37: exesa scabra rubigine pila, Verg. G. 1, 495: flammeus ardor Silvas exederat, Lucr. 5, 1253: molem (undae), Curt. 4, 2: apparebat epigramma exesis posterioribus partibus versiculorum, dimidiatis fere, effaced by time, Cic. Tusc. 5, 23, 66: multa monumenta vetustas exederat, Curt. 3, 4: exesae arboris antrum, rotten, hollow, Verg. G. 4, 44: dens exesus, Cels. 7, 12: exesa vis luminis, consumed, Tac. H. 4, 81: urbem nefandis odiis, to destroy, Verg. A. 5, 785: rem publicam, Tac. A. 2, 27: quid te futurum censes, quem assidue exedent, i. e. devour, consume thy property, Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 53.
- II. Trop., to consume, prey upon, corrode: aegritudo exest animum, Cic. Tusc. 3, 13, 27; cf.: accedunt aegritudines, molestiae, maerores, qui exedunt animos, id. Fin. 1, 18, 59; 1, 16, 51: illi beati, quos nullae aegritudines exedunt, etc., id. Tusc. 5, 6, 16: maestas exedit cura medullas, Cat. 66, 23 et saep.: exspectando exedor miser atque exenteror, Plaut. Ep. 3, 1, 1.