Lewis & Short

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ex-pugno, āvi, ātum, 1 (archaic inf. fut. expugnassere, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 55), v. a., to take by assault, to storm, capture, reduce, subdue (freq. and class.; syn.: obsideo, oppugno, capio).

  1. I. Lit., of places: id (oppidum Noviodunum) ex itinere oppugnare conatus, expugnare non potuit, Caes. B. G. 2, 12, 2: oppidum, id. ib. 2, 10, 4; 3, 14, 1 al.: nonnullas urbes per vim, id. B. C. 3, 55, 3: urbem, Liv. 2, 12, 1: Cirtam armis, Sall. J. 23, 1: castellum, Caes. B. G. 2, 9, 4; 3, 1, 4: loca multa, Nep. Ages. 3: moenia mundi, Lucr. 2, 1144 et saep.
    1. B. Transf., of other objects (things or persons), to subdue, overcome, break down or through, sweep away: naves, Caes. B. G. 3, 15, 2 and 5: aedes, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 3; cf. villas, Sall. J. 44, 5: carcerem, Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 76: Philippum et Nabin expugnatos, conquered, Liv. 37, 25, 6; cf.: inclusos moenibus expugnat, Curt. 9, 4: aliquos, id. 6, 6; Tac. Agr. 41; Flor. 2, 2, 16; Just. 3, 5: expugnavi amanti herili filio aurum ab suo patre, obtained by force, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 5.
      Of inanimate subjects: flumina id oppidum expugnavere, swept away, Plin. 6, 27, 31, § 138: Euphrates Taurum expugnat, i. e. breaks through, id. 5, 24, 20, § 85: lacte equino venena et toxica expugnantur, are counteracted, id. 28, 10, 45, § 159.
  2. II. Trop., to conquer, subdue, overcome: sapientis animus magnitudine consilii, tolerantia, virtutibus, etc. … vincetur et expugnabitur, Cic. Par. 4, 1, 27: nihil tam munitum, quod non expugnari pecuniā possit, id. Verr. 1, 2, 4: fortunas patrias, id. Clu. 13, 36: pudicitiam, to violate, id. Cael. 20; 50: aut enim expugnatur intentio aut adsumptio aut conclusio, nonnumquam omnia, i. e. is refuted, confuted, Quint. 5, 14, 20 sq.: pertinaciam legatorum, Liv. 37, 56, 9: paupertatem, Petr. 126: expugnatus precibus uxoris, Suet. Tib. 21; so simply expugnatus, id. Caes. 1; id. Vesp. 22: coepta, to fight through, to accomplish, Ov. M. 9, 619; cf.: sibi legationem expugnavit, extorted, wrung out, obtained (= extorsit), Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 16, § 44.
    With ut: aliqua ratione expugnasset iste, ut dies tollerentur, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 52, § 130: aegre expugnavit, ut, etc., Petr. 108.
    Hence, * ex-pugnans, antis, P. a., efficient, efficacious: expugnantior herba, Ov. M. 14, 21 (so Jahn and Bach., Merkel, expugnacior).