intĕr-ĭmo (better than interĕmo, Bramb. s. v., but v. Munro, Lucr. Introd. p. 33), ēmi, emptum, or emtum, 3, v. a. [emo], to take out of the midst, to take away, do away with, abolish; to destroy, slay, kill (syn.: interficio, perimo; class.).
- I. Lit.: Abantem, Verg. A. 10, 428: vitam, Plaut. Cas. 3, 5, 29: interimendorum sacrorum causā, Cic. Mur. 12, 27: qui Argum dicitur interemisse, id. N. D. 3, 22, 56: sensum, Lucr. 3, 288: se, Plaut. Cist. 3, 13: si quae interimant, innumerabilia sint, etiam ea quae conservent, infinita esse debere, Cic. N. D. 1, 19, 50: Hasdrubale interempto, Hor. C. 1, 4, 72: qui ferro sunt interempti. Quint. 3, 8, 5.
So with se, to kill one’s self, commit suicide: Lucretia se ipsa interemit, Cic. Fin. 2, 20, 66.
- II. Transf., to kill, i. e. to distress intolerably: illaec interemit me modo hic oratio, Plaut. Merc. 3, 4, 22: me quidem, judices, exanimant et interimunt hae voces Milonis, distress me, Cic. Mil. 34.