prō-tĕro, trīvi, trītum, 3, v. a.
- * I. To drive forth, drive away: ver proterit aestas Interitura, i. e. supplants, Hor. C. 4, 7, 9.
- II. To tread under foot, trample down, wear away, crush, bruise (class.; syn. proculco).
- A. Lit.: aliquem pedibus, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 13: homines elephantis proterendos substravit, Val. Max. 2, 7, 14: januam limā, i. e. to destroy, Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 9: equitatus aversos proterere incipit, Caes. B. C. 2, 41: agmina curru, Verg. A. 12, 330: florentia arva, Ov. M. 2, 791: adversum rota proterit agmen, Sil. 2, 175: ulmus labens proterit uvas, Stat. Th. 8, 747: seges torrefacta proteritur, Col. 2, 21, 3.
- B. Transf., in gen., to overthrow, beat, crush, defeat, destroy: Marte Poenos, Hor. C. 3, 5, 34: protrita hostium acies, Tac. H. 2, 26: aliquem proterere et conculcare, to maltreat, abuse, trample upon, Cic. Fl. 2, 22, 53; cf.: pati urbem proteri atque conculcari, Auct. Her. 4, 53, 66: ruinā suā proteri, Vell. 2, 91, 4: umbram, Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 25: omnia ferro, Just. 24, 4, 6: barbaram plebem, Amm. 15, 4, 12.
Hence, prōtrītus, a, um, P.a., worn out (by rubbing); hence, of words, of frequent use, common, trite, vulgar (post-class.): verba, Gell. 5, 21, 4; 12, 2, 1; 18, 4, 6.