Lewis & Short

2. incīdo, cīdi, cīsum, 3, v. a. [in-caedo], to cut into, cut through, cut open, cut up (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: teneris arboribus incisis atque inflexis, Caes. B. G. 2, 17, 4: arbores, Plin. 12, 14, 30, § 54; 32, § 58: inciditur vitro, lapide, osseisve cultellis, id. 12, 25, 54, § 115; cf.: palmes inciditur in medullam, id. 14, 9, 11, § 84: venam, to open, id. 29, 6, 58, § 126; Cels. 2, 8; Tac. A. 16, 19; cf.: incisi nervi, Plin. 11, 37, 88, § 218: circa vulnus scalpello, Cels. 5, 27, 3: pinnas, to clip, Cic. Att. 4, 2, 5; so, vites falce, Verg. E. 3, 11: pulmo incisus, cut up, divided, Cic. Div. 1, 39, 85; cf.: eupatoria foliis per extremitates incisis, i. e. notched, indented, Plin. 5, 6, 29, § 65: nos linum incidimus, legimus, cut through, cut, Cic. Cat. 3, 5, 10: funem, Verg. A. 3, 667: corpora mortuorum, to dissect, Cels. praef.: nocentes homines vivos, id. ib.: quid habet haruspex cur pulmo incisus etiam in bonis extis dirimat tempus? Cic. Div. 1, 39, 85: si rectum limitem rupti torrentibus pontes inciderint, cut through, broken through, Quint. 2, 13, 16: squamisque incisus adaestuat amnis, Stat. Th. 5, 517: non incisa notis marmcra publicis, engraved, Hor. C. 4, 8, 13: tabula … his ferme incisa litteris fuit, Liv. 6, 29 fin.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. To cut in, to carve, engrave, inscribe on any thing; usually constr. with in and abl.; less freq. with in and acc., the dat., or absol.
          1. (α) With in and abl.: id non modo tum scripserunt, verum etiam in aere incisum nobis tradiderunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 65; cf.: foedus in columna aenea incisum et perscriptum, id. Balb. 23, 53; id. Verr. 2, 2, 63, § 154: in qua basi grandibus litteris P. Africani nomen erat incisum, id. ib. 2, 4, 34, § 74: nomina in tabula incisa, id. Fam. 13, 36, 1: notum est carmen incisum in sepulcro, id. de Sen. 17, 61; id. Pis. 29, 72; id. Font. 14, 31: incidens litteras in fago recenti, Plin. 16, 9, 14, § 35: indicem in aeneis tabulis, Suet. Aug. 101: quae vos incidenda in aere censuistis, Plin. Pan. 75, 1.
          2. (β) With in and acc.: quae (acta) ille in aes incidit, Plin. Pan. 1, 7, 16: leges in aes incisae, Liv. 3, 57 fin.: lege jam in aes incisā, Suet. Aug. 28 fin.: quod ita erit gestum, lex erit, et in aes incidi jubebitis credo illa legitima: consules populum jure rogaverunt, etc., Cic. Phil. 1, 10, 26.
          3. (γ) With dat. (poet. and post-Aug.): verba ceris, Ov. M. 9, 529: amores arboribus, Verg. E. 10, 53: fastos marmoreo parieti, Suet. Gramm. 17: nomen non trabibus aut saxis, Plin. Pan. 54, 7; cf.: primum aliquid da, quod possim titulis incidere, i. e. among your titles, Juv. 8, 69.
          4. (δ) Absol.: incidebantur jam domi leges, Cic. Mil. 32, 87; cf.: tabula his litteris incīsa, Liv. 6, 29, 9: sine delectu morum quisquis incisus est, inscribed, registered, Sen. Ben. 4, 28: Victorem litteris incisis appellare, Macr. S. 3, 6, 11.
      2. 2. To make by cutting, to cut (rare): ferroque incidit acuto Perpetuos dentes et serrae repperit usum, Ov. M. 8, 245: novas incide faces, tibi ducitur uxor, Verg. E. 8, 29; Col. 2, 21, 3.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To break off, interrupt, put an end to: poëma ad Caesarem, quod institueram, incidi, have broken off, stopped, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 4, § 11: inciditur omnis jam deliberatio, si intellegitur non posse fieri,
      Note:id. de Or. 2, 82, 336; cf. Liv. 32, 37, 5: tandem haec singultu verba incidente profatur, Stat. Th. 9, 884: novas lites, Verg. E. 9, 14: ludum, Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 36: vocis genus crebro incidens, broken, interrupted, Cic. de Or. 3, 58, 217.
    2. B. To cut off, cut short, take away, remove: media, to cut short, Cic. Phil. 2, 19, 47: qui mihi pinnas inciderant nolunt easdem renasci, id. 4, 2, 5: Tarquinius spe omni reditus incisā exsulatum Tusculum abiit, cut off, Liv. 2, 15, 7: spe incisā, id. 3, 58, 6; 35, 31, 7; cf. id. 44, 6, 13; 44, 13, 3: tantos actus, Sil. 3, 78: ipsam, quam promimus horam casus incidit, Sen. Ep. 101: testamentum, to annul, invalidate, Dig. 28, 4, 3.
    3. C. In rhet., to make by cutting, to cut: aequaliter particulas, Cic. Or. 61, 205.
      Hence,
      1. 1. incī-sum, i, n., rhet. t. t. for the Gr. κόμμα, a section or division of a sentence, a clause: quae nescio cur, cum Graeci κόμματα et κῶλα nominent, nos non recte incisa et membra dicamus, Cic. Or. 62, 211 (for which: incisiones et membra, id. 64, 261): incisum erit sensus non expleto numero conclusus, plerisque pars membri, Quint. 9, 4, 122; cf. id. ib. 22; 32; 44; 67; 123.
      2. 2. incīsē, adv., in short clauses: quo pacto deceat incise membratimve dici, Cic. Or. 63, 212; cf. incisim.