Lewis & Short

rādo, si, sum, 3, v. a., to scrape, scratch, shave, rub, or smooth; of the hair, to shave off with a razor (while tondere is to cut off with shears; mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; cf. scabo).

  1. I. Lit.: MVLIERES GENAS NE RADVNTO, tear, lacerate by scratching, in mourning, XII. Tab. ap. Cic. Leg. 2, 23, 59; Plin. 11, 37, 58, § 157; and Fest. s. v. radere, p. 227: fauces, to irritate, Lucr. 4, 528; Quint. 11, 3, 13 Spald.; 11, 3, 20: terram pedibus (corvus), Plaut. Aul. 4, 3, 2: caput et supercilia, to shave, Cic. Rosc. Com. 7, 20 (just before, abrasa); Petr. 103: caput, as a token of slavery, Liv. 34, 52 fin.; in mourning, Suet. Calig. 5; and in execution of a vow made in times of peril, Juv. 12, 81 (cf. Petr. 103 sqq.): barbam, Suet. Aug. 79.
    Transf., of the person himself: ut tonderetur diligenter ac raderetur, Suet. Caes. 45; Plin. 7, 59, 59, § 211: tigna, to smooth off, Lucr. 5, 1267: virgae, Verg. G. 2, 358; cf. lapides, to sweep the mosaic ground, Hor. S. 2, 4, 83: parietes, to scratch, Plin. 28, 4, 13, § 52: aream, i. e. to clear of bushes, Col. 2, 19; cf.: medicam marris ad solum, to weed out, Plin. 18, 16, 43, § 147: arva imbribus (Eurus), to strip, lay waste, sweep, ravage, Hor. Epod. 16, 54; cf.: terras (Aquilo), id. S. 2, 6, 25: nomen fastis, to scratch out, erase, Tac. A. 3, 17 fin.: margine in extremo littera rasa, Ov. Am. 1, 11, 22: tabellae rasae, id. A. A. 1, 437.
    1. B. Poet., transf.
      1. 1. To touch in passing, touch upon, brush along, graze; of streams: ripas radentia flumina rodunt, Lucr. 5, 256; Ov. F. 1, 242; Luc. 2, 425; Sen. Hippol. 16.
        Of sailors: hinc altas cautes projectaque saxa Pachyni Radimus (in sailing by), Verg. A. 3, 700; 5, 170; 7, 10; Val. Fl. 5, 108; Luc. 5, 425; 8, 246 al.: sicco freta radere passu (with percurrere; of horses running past), Ov. M. 10, 654: terra rasa squamis (serpentis), id. ib. 3, 75: arva radens serpens, Stat. Th. 5, 525; cf. Verg. A. 5, 217: trajectos surculus rasit, crept through, Suet. Ner. 48.
      2. 2. To strip off, nip off: damnosa canicula quantum raderet, Pers. 3, 50: ista tonstrix radit, i. e. shaves her customers (sc. of their money), Mart. 2, 17, 5.
  2. II. Trop., to grate upon, hurt, offend: aures delicatas radere, Quint. 3, 1, 3: teneras auriculas mordaci vero, Pers. 1, 107: pallentes mores, to lash, satirize, id. 5, 15.