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.

ex-plĭco, āvi and ŭi (the latter first in Verg. G. 2, 280; afterwards freq.; Hor. C. 3, 29, 16; 4, 9, 44; id. S. 2, 2, 125; Liv. 7, 23, 6 et saep.; cf. Gell. 1, 7, 20), ātum or ĭtum (Cic. uses mostly atum, Caes. atum and itum; cf. explicaturos, Caes. B. C. 1, 78, 4; with explicitis, id. ib. 3, 75, 2; and, explicitius, id. ib. 1, 78, 2; upon these forms v. Neue, Formenl. 2, pp. 479 sq., 550 sq.), 1, v. a., to unfold, uncoil, unroll, unfurl, spread out, loosen, undo (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. sense; syn.: expedio, extrico, enodo, enucleo; explano, expono, interpretor).

  1. I. Lit.: velum, Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 7: non explicata veste neque proposito argento, etc., spread out, Cic. de Or. 1, 35, 161: volumen, to open, id. Rosc. Am. 35, 101: suas pennas (ales), Ov. Am. 2, 6, 55: plenas plagas, Mart. 1, 56, 8: perturbatum et confusum agmen, to put in order, Hirt. B. G. 8, 14, 2: capillum pectine, Varr. L. L. 5, § 129 Müll.: fusos, to unwind, Mart. 4, 54, 10: frontem sollicitam, to free from wrinkles, to smooth, Hor. C. 3, 29, 16; for which: explicare seria contractae frontis, id. S. 2, 2, 125; cf. mare, i. e. to calm, Sen. Herc. Oet. 455: si ex his te laqueis exueris ac te aliqua via ac ratione explicaris, hast extricated, freed thyself, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 58, § 151: se (ex funibus ancorarum), Dig. 9, 2, 29: inimicae et oves, difficile se (apibus) e lanis earum explicantibus, Plin. 11, 18, 19, § 62: se explicat angustum, Juv. 12, 55.
    1. B. Transf., to spread out, stretch out, extend, deploy, display: aciem, Liv. 7, 23, 6; 40, 4, 4; 40, 5, 26 al.; cf. ordinem, id. 2, 46, 3: agmen, id. 10, 20, 3: cohortes (longa legio), Verg. G. 2, 280: se turmatim (equites), Caes. B. C. 3, 93, 3; cf. mid.: priusquam plane legiones explicari et consistere possent, id. ib. 2, 26, 4; and: ut ordo omnium navium explicari posset, Liv. 37, 23, 10: per obstantis catervas Explicuit sua victor arma, Hor. C. 4, 9, 44: atria, congestos satis explicatura clientes, Stat. Th. 1, 146: ut forum laxaremus et usque ad atrium Libertatis explicaremus, extend, Cic. Att. 4, 16, 14; cf.: unde pons in oppidum pertinens explicatur, Sall. H. 3, 20: orbes (serpens), Ov. M. 15, 720: frondes omnes (pampinus), Verg. G. 2, 335: se (montes), Plin. 5, 29, 31, § 118: arida ligna in flammas (ignis), Lucr. 2, 882: convivium, i. e. to set out richly, to furnish, Mart. 1, 100, 13: explicavi meam rem post illa lucro, i. e. amplified, enlarged, Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 5.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen. (very seldom): explica atque excute intelligentiam tuam, ut videas quae sit, etc., display, Cic. Off. 3, 20, 81: Siciliam multis undique cinctam periculis explicavit, has set at large, set free (qs. released from toils, snares), id. de Imp. Pomp. 11, 30; cf.: quemadmodum se explicent dicendo, id. Fl. 4, 10: da operam, ut te explices, huc quam primum venias, Pompei. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, D. 2.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To disentangle, set in order, arrange, regulate, settle, adjust any thing complicated or difficult: pulcre ego hanc explicatam tibi rem dabo, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 20: peto a te, ut ejus negotia explices et expedias, Cic. Fam. 13, 26, 2: negotia, id. Att. 5, 12, 3; cf. id. ib. 16, 3, 5: belli rationem, id. Prov. Cons. 14, 35; cf.: rationem salutis, id. Fam. 6, 1, 2: rem frumentariam, Hirt. B. G. 8, 4 fin.: si Faberius nobis nomen illud explicat, noli quaerere, quanti, settles, i. e. pays that item, Cic. Att. 13, 29, 2: Faberianum, id. ib. § 3; cf.: si qui debitores, quia non possint explicare pecuniam, differant solutionem, Dig. 42, 1, 31: consilium, Caes. B. C. 1, 78, 4; cf.: his explicitis rebus, id. ib. 3, 75, 2: subvenire tempestati quavis ratione sapientis est; eoque magis, si plus adipiscare re explicatā boni, quam addubitatā mali, Cic. Off. 1, 24, 83: ea, quae per defunctum inchoata sunt, per heredem explicari debent, Dig. 27, 7, 1: transii ad elegos: hos quoque feliciter explicui, Plin. Ep. 7, 4, 7 (cf. under
        Note:): iter commode explicui, excepto quod, etc., Plin. Ep. 8, 1, 1: fugam, Phaedr. 4, 7, 15: nihilo plus explicet ac si Insanire paret, etc., will make no more out of it, Hor. S. 2, 3, 270.
      2. 2. Of speech, to develop, unfold, set forth, exhibit, treat, state: vitam alterius totam explicare, Civ. Div. in Caecil. 8, 27: perfice, ut Crassus haec, quae coartavit et peranguste refersit in oratione sua, dilatet nobis atque explicet, id. de Or. 1, 35, 163: explicando excutiendoque verbo, id. Part. Or. 36, 124: aliquid expedite, id. Brut. 67, 237: aliquid apertissime planissimeque, id. Verr. 2, 2, 64, § 156: aliquid definitione, id. Fin. 3, 10, 33: funera fando, Verg. A. 2, 362: philosophiam, Cic. Div. 2, 2, 6; cf.: philosophiam diligentissime Graecis litteris, id. Ac. 1, 2, 4: summorum oratorum Graecas orationes, id. de Or. 1, 34, 155: geometricum quiddam aut physicum aut dialecticum (corresp. to expedire), id. Div. 2, 59, 122: non de aegritudine solum, sed de omni animi perturbatione explicabo, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: de scorpionibus et catapultis, Vitr. 10, 22: ut explicemus, quae sint materiae, etc., Quint. 10, 5, 1.
        Pass. impers.: quae vero auxilia sunt capitis, eo loco explicitum est, Cels. 4, 2.
        Hence,
      1. 1. explĭcātus, a, um, P. a.
    1. A. Lit., spread out: Capua planissimo in loco explicata, Cic. Agr. 2, 35, 96: vallis, Pall. Aug. 11, 2.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. Well ordered, regular: in causa facili atque explicata, Cic. Planc. 2, 5.
      2. 2. Plain, clear: nisi explicata solutione non sum discessurus, Cic. Att. 15, 20, 4.
        Comp.: litterae tuae, quibus nihil potest esse explicatius, nihil perfectius, Cic. Att. 9, 7, 2.
        Sup.: explicatissima responsa, Aug. Ep. 34 fin.
      3. 3. Assured, certain: nec habet explicatam aut exploratam rationem salutis suae, Cic. Fam. 6, 1, 2.
        * Adv.: explĭ-cāte, plainly, clearly: qui distincte, qui explicate, qui abundanter et rebus et verbis dicunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 53.
        Comp.: explicatius, August. Civ. D. 19, 4.
      4. 2. explĭ-cĭtus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to II. B. 1.), lit., disentangled, i. e. free from obstacles, easy: in his erat angustiis res: sed ex propositis consiliis duobus explicitius videbatur, Ilerdam reverti, Caes. B. C. 1, 78, 2.
        Note: explĭcit, in late Lat., at the end of a book, is prob. an abbreviation of explicitus (est liber), the book is ended (acc. to signif. II. B. 1.); cf.: explicitum nobis usque ad sua cornua librum refers, Mart. 11, 107, 1: solemus completis opusculis ad distinctionem rei alterius sequentis medium interponere Explicit aut Feliciter aut aliquid istius modi, Hier. Ep. 28, 4.