Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

at-tĕro (adt-, Dietsch), trīvi, trītum, 3, v. a. (perf. inf. atteruisse, Tib. 1, 4, 48; cf. Vell. Long. p. 2234 P.), to rub one thing against another; hence, in gen., to rub away, wear out or diminish by rubbing, to waste, wear away, weaken, impair, exhaust.

  1. I. Lit. (most freq. after the Aug. per.; in Cic. only once as P. a.; v. infra): insons Cerberus leniter atterens caudam, rubbing against or upon (sc. Herculi), * Hor. C. 2, 19, 30: asinus spinetis se scabendi causā atterens, Plin. 10, 74, 95, § 204: aures, * Plaut. Pers. 4, 9, 11 (cf. antestor): bucula surgentes atterat herbas, tramples upon, Verg. G. 4, 12: opere insuetas atteruisse manus, Tib. 1, 4, 48; so Prop. 5, 3, 24, and Plin. 2, 63, 63, § 158; so, dentes usu atteruntur, id. 7, 16, 15, § 70: attrivit sedentis pedem, Vulg. Num. 22, 25: vestem, Dig. 23, 3, 10; Col. 11, 2, 16; Cels. praef.: vestimenta, Vulg. Deut. 29, 5; ib. Isa. 51, 6.
    Poet., of sand worn by the water flowing over it: attritas versabat rivus harenas, Ov. M. 2, 456.
  2. II. Trop., to destroy, waste, weaken, impair: postquam utrimque legiones item classes saepe fusae fugataeque et alteri alteros aliquantum adtriverant, Sall. J. 79, 4: magna pars (exercitūs) temeritate ducum adtrita est, id. ib. 85, 46: Italiae opes bello, id. ib. 5, 4; so Tac. H. 1, 10; 1, 89; 2, 56; Curt. 4, 6 fin.; cf. Sil. 2, 392 Drak.: nec publicanus atterit (Germanos), exhausts, drains, Tac. G. 29: famam atque pudorem, Sall. C. 16, 2: et vincere inglorium et atteri sordidum arbitrabatur, and to suffer injury in his dignity, Tac. Agr. 9 Rupert.: eo tempore, quo praecipue alenda ingenia atque indulgentiā quādam enutrienda sunt, asperiorum tractatu rerum atteruntur, are enfeebled, Quint. 8, prooem. 4: filii ejus atterentur egestate, Vulg. Job, 20, 10: Nec res atteritur longo sufflamine litis, Juv. 16, 50.
    Hence, attrītus, a, um, P. a., rubbed off, worn off or away, wasted.
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. In gen.: ut rictum ejus (simulacri) ac mentum paulo sit attritius, * Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43: ansa, Verg. E. 6, 17: vomer, worn bright, id. G. 1, 46; cf. Juv. 8, 16 Rupert.: caelaturae, Plin. 33, 12, 55, § 157; Petr. 109, 9.
      2. 2. In medicine, attritae partes or subst. attrita, ōrum, n. (sc. membra), bruised, excoriated parts of the body: medetur et attritis partibus sive oleo etc., Plin. 24, 7, 28, § 43: attritis medetur cinis muris silvatici etc., id. 30, 8, 22, § 70.
    2. B. Trop.: attrita frons, a shameless, impudent face (lit. a smooth face, to which shame no longer clings; cf. perfrico), Juv. 13, 242 Rupert.; so, domus Israël attritā fronte, Vulg. Ezech. 3, 7.
      Sup. and adv. not used.

2. attrītus, ūs, m. [attero], a rubbing on or against something (post-Aug.).

  1. I. In gen.: (sues) inter se dimicant indurantes attritu arborum costas, Plin. 8, 52, 78, § 212; 9, 45, 68, § 147; 16, 40, 77, § 208; 37, 3, 12, § 48; Sen. Ira, 3, 4.
  2. II. Med. t., an inflammation of the skin caused by rubbing (cf. attero, P a.): ulcera ex attritu facta, Plin. 33, 6, 35, § 105; 26, 8, 58, § 91 (Jan, trita); 28, 16, 62, § 222.