Lewis & Short

mācĕro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [prob. from root μαγ-, μάσσω, to knead; through an adj. mācerus; v. Corss. Ausspr. 1, 395; cf. also măcer], to make soft or tender, to soften by steeping, to soak, steep, macerate (not in Cic. or Cæs.).

  1. I. Lit.: brassicam in aquam, Cato, R. R. 156, 5: salsamenta, Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 27: in piscina lupinum, Col. 1, 6, 21: semen lacte, id. 11, 3, 51: (ramos genistae) marinā aquā, Plin. 24, 9, 40, § 66: (siliginem) novem diebus maceratum … subigunt, id. 18, 11, 27, § 106: grana (cacaliae) in oleo, id. 25, 11, 85, § 135: intestina piscium sale, id. 31, 7, 43, § 93: podagrici crura macerantes, Vitr. 18, 3.
  2. II. Transf., to weaken in body or mind, to waste away, enervate.
    1. A. Of the body: multos iste morbus homines macerat, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 22; Liv. 26, 13: quam lentis macerer ignibus, Hor. C. 1, 13, 8; cf.: Macedo siti maceratus, Curt. 5, 13, 24: pars exercitus ad utilitatem nostram macerata perductaque ad exitiabilem famem, Vell. 2, 112, 4: Fabius sic maceravit Hannibalem, ut, etc., i. e. Hannibal’s army, Flor. 2, 6, 28: muscus crura vitium situ et veterno macerat, Col. 4, 22, 6: cor solum viscerum vitiis non maceratur, Plin. 11, 37, 69, § 182.
    2. B. Of the mind, to fret, vex, torment, distress, torture, pain (syn.: crucio, torqueo): egemet me concoquo et macero et defatigo, fret myself, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 2: quor me excrucio? quor me macero? quor meam senectutem sollicito? Ter. And. 5, 3, 15; cf. id. Eun. 1, 2, 107: noli te macerare, id. And. 4, 2, 2: cura satis me lacrumis maceravi, Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 8: hoc me facinus miserum macerat, id. Mil. 3, 1, 21: infelix sollicitudo persequitur nec oratorem macerat et coquit, * Quint. 12, 10, 77: quae vos macerent desiderio, Liv. 5, 54, 3; 26, 13, 8.
      Poet., with a causal object-clause: consimili ratione ab eodem saepe timore macerat invidia, ante oculos illum esse potentem, Lucr. 3, 75.
      Mid., to vex, torment one’s self: maceror interdum, quod sim tibi causa dolendi, Ov. H. 2, 125: unum hoc maceror et doleo tibi deesse, Terenti, C. Caes. ap. Suet. Vit. Ter. fin.: ex desiderio magis magisque maceror, Afran. ap. Charis. p. 182 P.