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.

dē-faeco (dēfēco, or defīco; cf. Ritschl ad Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 2), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [faex], to cleanse from dregs; to refine, purify, defecate, clarify (ante-class. and post-Aug.).

  1. I. Lit.: vinum, Col. 12, 33; Plin. 18, 26, 63, § 232: vindemiam, Vulg. Isa. 25, 6.
    1. B. In gen., to cleanse, purify, wash: se, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 2: membra, Prud. Cath. 7, 74: aërem, Veg. Vet. 1, 20, 3.
  2. II. Trop., to purify; to make clear, serene; to set at ease: quicquid incerti mi in animo prius aut ambiguum fuit, nunc liquet, nunc defaecatum est, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 70: animus purgatus defaecatusque, Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 8: mens, id. ib. 2, 12: literae defaecandae, Sid. Ep. 1, 1: caro ab omni defaecata labe vitiorum, Ambros. in Luc. 7, 141 fin.: nunc defaecato demum animo egredior domo, undisturbed, serene, Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 1.
    P. a.: dēfaecātus, a, um.
    Comp.: caelum defaecatius ab omni labe, Ambros. in Psa. 118; Serm. 8; vindemiae, refined, Vulg. Isa. 25, 6.