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pello, pĕpŭli, pulsum, 3 (pluperf. pulserat, Amm. 30, 5, 19), v. a. [kindred with Gr. πάλλω, πέλω], to beat, strike, knock any thing or at any thing; to push, drive, hurl, impel, propel.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (mostly poet.; syn.: trudo, percutio): pueri pulsi, Cic. Fin. 5, 18, 48: pectora pellite tonsis, Enn. ap. Fest. s. v. tonsa, p. 356 Müll. (Ann. v. 235 Vahl.): terram pede, Lucr. 5, 1402: ter pede terram (in the tripudium), Hor. C. 3, 18, 15: humum pedibus, Cat. 61, 14: fores, Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 4; 5, 3, 2: impetu venientium pulsae fores, Tac. A. 11, 37: spumat sale rate pulsum, Enn. ap. Gell. 2, 26 (Ann. v. 378 Vahl.); cf.: unda pulsa remis, Cic. Ac. Fragm. ap. Non. 162, 30; so, vada remis, Cat. 64, 58: (arbor) ventis pulsa, Lucr. 5, 1096.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To drive out or away, to thrust or turn out, expel, banish; esp. milit., to drive back, discomfit, rout the enemy (freq. and class.; syn.: fugo, elimino, deicio); constr. with abl., with ex, rarely with de; also with ab and abl. of the place from which one is repelled or driven back, but has not entered: cum viri boni lapidibus e foro pellerentur, Cic. Pis. 10, 23; so, omnes ex Galliae finibus, Caes. B. G. 1, 31, 11; and: praesidium ex arce, Nep. Pelop. 3 fin.: a foribus, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 113: istum ab Hispaniā, Cic. Att. 10, 8, 2: patriis ab agris Pellor, Ov. M. 14, 477; cf. Ter. Eun. 2, 1, 9: aliquem a sacris, Ov. Ib. 624: possessores suis sedibus, Cic. Off. 2, 22, 78: aliquem sedibus, Sall. J. 41, 8: aliquem possessionibus, Cic. Mil. 27, 74: aliquem civitate, id. Par. 4, 1, 27: loco, Liv. 10, 6: patria, Nep. Arist. 1: aliquem regno, Hor. S. 1, 6, 13; Just. 35, 1, 3.
        Of inanim. objects: aquam de agro, Plin. 18, 26, 62, § 230: tecta, quibus frigorum vis pelleretur, Cic. Off. 2, 11, 13: placidam nives pectore aquam, Tib. 1, 4, 12; 3, 5, 30: calculos e corpore, Plin. 22, 21, 30, § 64.
        Without indicating the place whence: qui armis perterritus, fugatus, pulsus est, Cic. Caecin. 11, 31: hostes pelluntur, Caes. B. G. 7, 62, 3; cf.: milites pulsi fugatique, Sall. J. 74, 3: exsules tyrannorum injuriā pulsi, driven out, banished, Liv. 34, 26, 12: Athenienses Diagoram philosophum pepulerunt, Val. Max. 1, 1, 7 ext.
        With abl. of manner: pudendis Volneribus pulsus, Verg. A. 11, 56; cf.: si fugisset vulneratus a tergo, etc., Serv. ad loc.
        Specifying the place whither: miles pellitur foras, Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 11: in exsilium pulsus, Cic. de Or. 2, 13, 56.
      2. 2. In milit. lang., to rout, put to flight, discomfit: exercitum ejus ab Helvetiis pulsum et sub jugum missum, Caes. B. G. 1, 7, 4: compluribus his proeliis pulsis, id. ib. 1, 10, 5: Romanos pulsos superatosque, id. ib. 2, 24 fin., etc.; 1, 52; Liv. 2, 50; Just. 1, 6, 13; 2, 12, 26.
      3. 3. To strike, set in motion, impel: inpello, sagitta pulsa manu, Verg. A. 12, 320.
      4. 4. Of a musical instrument, to strike the chords, play: nervi pulsi, struck, Cic. Brut. 54, 199: lyra pulsa manu, Ov. M. 10, 205; cf.: classica pulsa, i. e. blown, Tib. 1, 1, 4.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to strike, touch, move, affect, impress, etc. (class.): totum corpus hominis et ejus omnis vultus omnesque voces, ut nervi in fidibus, ita sonant, ut a motu animi quoque sunt pulsae, Cic. de Or. 3, 57, 216; cf. of sound: Ille canit, pulsae referunt ad sidera valles, Verg. E. 6, 84: sonat amnis, et Asia longe Pulsa palus, id. A. 7, 702: quemadmodum visa nos pellerent, Cic. Ac. 2, 10, 30; cf.: visa enim ista cum acriter mentem sensumve pepulerunt, id. ib. 2, 20, 66; id. Fin. 2, 10, 32: quod (dictum) cum animos hominum aurisque pepulisset, id. Or. 53, 177: species utilitatis pepulit eum, id. Off. 3, 10, 41: fit saepe, ut pellantur animi vehementius, id. Div. 1, 36, 80: nec habet ullum ictum, quo pellat animum, id. Fin. 2, 10, 32: nulla me ipsum privatim pepulit insignis injuria, id. Fam. 4, 13, 2: ipsum in Hispaniā juvenem nullius forma pepulerat captivae, Liv. 30, 14, 3: non mediocri curā Scipionis animum pepulit, id. 30, 14, 1: pulsusque residerat ardor, Ov. M. 7, 76: longi sermonis initium pepulisti, you have struck the chord of a long discussion, Cic. Brut. 87, 297.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To drive out or away, to banish, expel: maestitiam ex animis, Cic. Fin. 1, 13, 43: procul a me dolorem, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 27: pulsus Corde dolor, Verg. A. 6, 382: glandt famem, Ov. M. 14, 216; so, sitim, Hor. C. 2, 2, 14: frigoris vim tectis, Cic. Off. 2, 4, 13: somnum, Sil. 7, 300; Col. poët. 10, 69: Phoebeā morbos arte, Ov. F. 3, 827: vino curas, Hor. C. 1, 7, 31: moram, Ov. M. 2, 838: dolore pulsa est amentia, id. ib. 5, 511: turpia crimina a vobis, id. A. A. 3, 379: umbras noctis, Cat. 63, 41: sidera, Ov. M. 2, 530: nubila, id. ib. 6, 690: tenebras, id. ib. 7, 703; 15, 651.
      2. 2. To beat, conquer, overcome (very rare): si animus hominem pepulit, actum’st: animo servit, non sibi; Sin ipse animum pepulit, vivit, victor victorum cluet, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 27 sq.: alicui pudicitiam, id. Ep. 4, 1, 15.

pulso, āvi, ātum (inf. parag. pulsarier, Lucr. 4, 931), 1, v. freq. a. [pello], to push, strike, beat (cf.: tundo, ferio, pello).

  1. I. Lit.: cum pulsetur agiteturque incursione atomorum sempiternā, Cic. N. D. 1, 41, 114: semine in pila pulsato, Plin. 19, 8, 45, § 158: lictores ad pulsandos verberandosque homines exercitatissimi, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 54, § 142; cf.: pulsari alios et verberari, id. ib. 2, 3, 26, § 66: pulsatus parens, Verg. A. 6, 609: legatos pulsasse dicebantur, Liv. 38, 42; Tac. H. 4, 45: ubi tu pulsas, ego vapulo tantum, Juv. 3, 289: ostium, to knock, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 1, 7: ostia, Hor. S. 1, 1, 10; cf. ostiatim, Quint. 5, 10, 122: fores, Ov. M. 5, 448; so, pulso alone: pulsate, et aperietur vobis, Vulg. Matt. 7, 7: humum ter pede, to stamp upon the ground, Ov. F. 6, 330: gyrum pulsat equis, Prop. 4, 13, 11; cf.: tellurem pede libero, Hor. C. 1, 37, 1: prata choreis, Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 381.
    Of military engines: ariete muros, Verg. A. 12, 706: ariete turres, Sil. 16, 696: moenia Romae, id. 6, 643: cuspide portas, id. 12, 565: pulsabant turrim ariete, Amm. 20, 11, 21: moenia Leptitana, id. 28, 6, 15.
    Of musical instruments: chordas digitis et pectine eburno, to strike, play upon, Verg. A. 6, 647: chelyn, Val. Fl. 1, 139: pectine nervos, Sil. 5, 463: cymbala, Juv. 9, 62.
    Of things: pulsant arva ligones, Ov. Am. 3, 10, 31; id. M. 11, 529: nervo pulsante sagittae, Verg. G. 4, 313.
    1. B. Transf., to strike against, to strike, touch any thing (poet.): ipse arduus altaque pulsat Sidera, Verg. A. 3, 619; 10, 216; Sil. 9, 450: vasto qui vertice nubila pulsat, Val. Fl. 4, 149.
      Of abstract subjects: ululatus pulsat aures, Claud. B. Get. 625.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to urge or drive on, to impel, to set in violent motion, to move, agitate, disturb, disquiet: dormientium animos, Cic. Div. 2, 58, 120: multa in unum locum confluunt, quae meum pectus pulsant, Plaut. Ep. 4, 1, 3: quae te vecordia pulsat, Ov. M. 12, 228: corda pavor pulsans, Verg. G, 3, 105; cf.: curru Phoebe medium pulsabat Olympum, id. A. 10, 216: variā meritos formidine pulsant, Val. Fl. 3, 390: urbes rumoribus, to disturb, Petr. p. 679: invidia pulsat pectus, Sen. Agam. 134: aliquem querelis, Stat. Th. 8, 249; cf.: astra querelis, Claud. in Eutr. 2, prooem. § 51: superos vocibus, Sen. Herc. Oet. 1671.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To attack before a tribunal, i. e. to arraign, accuse: ex contractu ejus obligatus, pro quo pulsabatur, Dig. 11, 1, 11: non imponitur necessitas aliis pulsantibus respondere, ib. 5, 1, 2 med.
      2. 2. Transf., in gen., to accuse, defame: pulsari crimine falso, Claud. B. Gild. 170: injusta Tartara, to accuse, charge, Stat. S. 5, 5, 77: apud principis aures existimationem viri fortis invidiā gravi pulsarent, Amm. 18, 4, 4.
    3. C. To drive away, remove, put out of the way, Dig. 19, 2, 15, § 1: pericula, Claud. VI. Cons. Hon. 465.
    4. D. To injure, insult: pulsatos infecto foedere divos, Verg. A. 12, 286: pulsatae majestatis imperii reus, of treason, Amm. 14, 7, 7.