Lewis & Short

per-mūto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.

  1. I. To change throughout, to alter or change completely: sententiam, Cic. Cat. 2, 7, 14: omnem rei publicae statum, id. Leg. 3, 9: ordine permutato, Lucr. 1, 827.
  2. II. In gen., to interchange, exchange one thing for another: nomina inter se, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 19: domum, id. Pers. 4, 5, 8: galeam, Verg. A. 9, 307: cur valle permutem Sabinā Divitias operosiores? Hor. C. 3, 1, 47: cum jecore locum, Plin. 11, 37, 80, § 204: virus ut hoc alio fallax permutet odore, Mart. 6, 93, 7: plumbum gemmis, for precious stones, Plin. 34, 17, 48, § 163.
    Trop.: permutatā ratione, on the contrary, conversely, Plin. 19, 6, 32, § 106.
    1. B. In partic., in the lang. of business.
      1. 1. To exchange money: placuit denarium sedecim assibus permutari, Plin. 33, 3, 13, § 45.
        Esp. of payments by exchange: illud, quod tecum permutavi, what you remitted to me by bill of exchange, Cic. Att. 5, 15, 2: ait se curasse, ut cum quaestu populi permutaretur, id. Fam. 2, 17, 7: sed quaero, quod illi opus erit Athenis, permutari ne possit, an ipsi ferendum sit, id. Att. 12, 24, 1: velim cures, ut permutetur, Athenas, quod sit in annum sumptum ei, id. ib. 15, 15, 2.
      2. 2. To buy: equos talentis auri permutare, Plin. 6, 31, 36, § 198: serichatum permutatur in libras denariis sex, id. 12, 21, 45, § 99; 19, 1, 4, § 20.
  3. III. To turn about, turn round (post.-Aug.): arborem in contrarium, Plin. 17, 11, 16, § 84; 16, 40, 77, § 210.