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.

sĕco, cŭi, ctum (part. fut. secaturus, Col. 5, 9, 2), 1, v. a. [root sak-, to cut; whence securis, sĕcula, serra (secra), segmen, sexus, saxum, etc.; cf. sīca, and Gr. κείω, κεάζω, σχίζω], to cut, cut off, cut up (class.; syn.: caedo, scindo).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: leges duodecim tabularum, si plures forent, quibus rens esset judicatus, secare, si vellent, atque partiri corpus addicti sibi hominis permiserunt, Gell. 20, 1, 48 sq.; cf.: et judicatos in partes secari a creditoribus leges erant, Tert. Apol. 4: cape cultrum, seca Digitum vel aurem, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 38 sq.: omne animal secari ac dividi potest, nullum est eorum individuum, Cic. N. D. 3, 12, 29: pabulum secari non posse, be cut, mown, * Caes. B. G. 7, 14; so, sectae herbae, Hor. S. 2, 4, 67: gallinam, to cut to pieces, Juv. 5, 124: placenta, Mart. 3, 77, 3: alicui collum gladio suā dexterā, Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 3, 10: palatum, to divide, Cels. 8, 1: tergora in frusta, Verg. A. 1, 212: dona auro gravia sectoque elephanto, i. e. of carved, wrought ivory (an imitation of the Homeric πριστὸς ἐλέφας, Od. 18, 196), Verg. A. 3, 464: marmora, Hor. C. 2, 18, 17: sectis nitebat marmoribus, Luc. 10, 114; so absol.: nec ideo ferrum secandi vim non perdidit, Sen. Ben. 5, 5, 1: prave sectus unguis, Hor. Ep. 1, 104: secti lapides, Vulg. Exod. 20, 25.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Med. t. t., to cut surgically; to operate on; to cut off or out, amputate, excise, etc.: in corpore si quid ejusmodi est, quod reliquo corpori noceat, id uri secarique patimur, Cic. Phil. 8, 5, 15; cf.: saevitia secandi, Plin. 29, 1, 6, § 13; so, membra, id. 26, 11, 69, § 112: vomicam, Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 13: varices Mario, Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 35 (for which, exciditur, Cels. 7, 31); cf. of the same: C. Marius cum secaretur, ut supra dixi, principio vetuit se alligari; nec quisquam ante Marium solutus dicitur esse sectus, was cut, operated upon, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 53: servum, Just. Inst. 4, 3, 6.
      2. 2. To cut, castrate (very rare): puer avari sectus arte mangonis, Mart. 9, 7, 4; so, sectus Gallus (corresp. to eviratus), id. 5, 41, 3.
    3. C. Transf. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
      1. 1. To scratch, tear, wound, hurt, injure (cf. caedo, II.): ambo (postes) ab infimo tarmes secat, the worms are gnawing them, they are wormeaten, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 140: luctantis acuto ne secer ungui, lest I should be torn, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 47; cf.: rigido sectas invenit ungue genas, Ov. F. 6, 148: teneras plantas tibi (glacies), Verg. E. 10, 49: corpora vepres, id. G. 3, 444: crura (sentes), Ov. M. 1, 509: pete ferro Corpus et intorto verbere terga seca, cut, lacerate, Tib. 1, 9, 22; so, sectus flagellis, Hor. Epod. 4, 11: loris, Mart. 10, 5, 14 al.: si quem podagra secat, gnaws, torments, Cat. 71, 2; imitated by Martial: podagra cheragraque secatur Gaius, Mart. 9, 92, 9.
      2. 2. Like the Gr. τέμνειν, and our to cut, i. e.,
        1. a. To divide, cleave, separate (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): quos (populos) secans interluit Allia, Verg. A. 7, 717: medios Aethiopas (Nilus), Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 53: medios agros (Tiberis), Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 12: medium agmen (Turnus), Verg. A. 10, 440: agrum (limes), Plin. 18, 34, 77, § 331: caelum (zonae), Ov. M. 1, 46: sectus orbis, Hor. C. 3, 27, 75; cf.: in longas orbem qui secuere vias, Ov. Am. 2, 16, 16.
        2. b. With the idea of motion, to cut through, i. e. to run, sail, fly, swim, go, etc., through: delphinum similes, qui per maria umida nando Carpathium Libycumque secant, cut through, cleave, Verg. A.5, 595: aequor, id. ib. 5, 218: pontum, id. ib. 9, 103: aequor Puppe, Ov. M. 11, 479: fretum puppe, id. ib. 7, 1; cf.: vada nota (amnis), id. ib. 1, 370: ales avis … geminis secat aëra pennis, Cic. Arat. 48: aethera pennis (avis), Verg. G. 1, 406; 1, 409: auras (cornus), id. A. 12, 268: ventos (Cyllenia proles), ib. ib. 4, 257: sub nubibus arcum (Iris), id. ib. 9, 15 et saep.
          Secare viam (vias), the Gr. τέμνειν ὁδόν, to take one’s way, to travel a road: ille viam secat ad naves, Verg. A. 6, 899: hinc velut diversae secari coeperunt viae, Quint. 3, 1, 14.
  2. II. Trop. (acc. to I. C. 1. and 2.).
    1. * A. To cut up, lash in speaking, i.e. to censure, satirize: secuit Lucilius Urbem, Pers. 1, 114.
    2. B. To divide (not freq. till after the Aug. per.): cum causas in plura genera secuerunt, Cic. de Or. 2, 27, 117: haec in plures partes, Quint. 8, 6, 13; cf.: scrupulose in partes sectā divisionis diligentiā, id. 4, 5, 6: quae natura singularia sunt secant (corresp. to divido), id. 4, 5, 25: sectae ad tenuitatem suam vires (just before: distinguendo. dividendo), id. 12, 2, 13.
      Hence, in Hor., like dirimo (II.), of disputes, to cut off, i.e. to decide them: quo multae magnaeque secantur judice lites, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 42: magnas res, to cure (as it were, by a light operation), id. S. 1, 10, 15.
      And once in Verg.: secare spem (the figure borrowed from the phrases secare mare, auras, viam): quae cuique est fortuna hodie, quam quisque secat spem, whatever hope each follows, i. e. indulges in, entertains, Verg. A. 10, 107 (secat, sequitur, tenet, habet; ut: Ille viam secat ad naves, id. ib. 6, 899: unde et sectas dicimus, habitus animorum et instituta philosophiae circa disciplinam, Serv.).

1. secta, ae, f. [part. perf. of seco, sc. via, v. seco, I. C. 2., and II. B. fin.]; prop., a trodden or beaten way, a path; footsteps; hence, trop., a (prescribed) way, mode, manner, method, principles of conduct or procedure (syn.: ratio, via, etc.); most freq. in the phrase sectam (alicujus) sequi (persequi, etc.), to follow in the footsteps (of any one); hence, also, sectam (alicujus) secuti, a party, faction, sect.

  1. I. In gen.: nos, qui hanc sectam rationemque vitae, re magis quam verbis, secuti sumus, mode of life, Cic. Cael. 17, 40; so, vitae, Quint. 3, 8, 38; 12, 2, 6; Plin. Pan. 45, 4; cf. id. ib. 85, 7: horum nos hominum sectam atque instituta persequimur, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 70, § 181; cf.: cujus sectam sequi, cujus imperio parere potissimum vellet, id. Rab. Perd. 8, 22: sequi ejus auctoritatem, cujus sectam atque imperium secutus est, id. Fam. 13, 4, 2: omnis natura habet quasi viam quandam et sectam quam sequatur, id. N. D. 2, 22, 57: negant se pro Vitruvio sectamque ejus secutis precatum venisse, Liv. 8, 19; cf. id. 29, 27; 35, 49; 36, 1; 42, 31: juvenes hortatur, ut illam ire viam pergant et eidem incumbere sectae, Juv. 14, 121 sq.: divitioris sectam plerumque secuntur Quamlibet et fortes, follow, adhere to, Lucr. 5, 1114: gallae sectam meam exsecutae, mihi comites, etc., Cat. 63, 15 et saep.
  2. II. In partic., doctrines, school, sect (not freq. until the post-Aug. per.; syn.: schola, disciplina).
    1. A. In philosophic lang.: quo magis tuum, Brute, judicium probo, qui eorum philosophorum sectam secutus es, Cic. Brut. 31, 120; cf.: inter Stoicos et Epicuri sectam secutos pugna perpetua est, Quint. 5, 7, 35.
      Plur.: ad morem certas in philosophia sectas sequendi, Quint. 3, 1, 18: neque me cujusdam sectae velut quādam superstitione imbutus addixi, id. 3, 1, 22: assumptā Stoicorum arrogantiā sectāque, Tac. A. 14, 57: Demetrio Cynicam sectam professo, id. H. 4, 40: auctoritatem Stoicae sectae praeferebat, id. A. 16, 32; 6, 22: inter duos diversarum sectarum velut duces, Quint. 5, 13, 59.
    2. B. In jurisprudence: hi duo primum veluti diversas sectas fecerunt, schools, Dig. 1, 2, 2, § 47.
    3. C. In medicine, a school: alia est Hippocratis secta, alia Asclepiadis, Sen. Ep. 95, 9.
    4. D. In religion, a sect, Cod. Just. 1, 9, 3: plurimae sectae et haereses, Lact. 4, 30, 2: Nazaraenorum, Vulg. Act. 24, 5.
    5. E. Rarely of a class or guild of men: sincera et innoxia pastoriae illius sectae integritas, Flor. 3, 12, 2.
  3. F. In Appul., a band of robbers, App. M. 4, pp. 150, 29, and 153, 22.

2. secta, ōrum, n. [1. seco, I. B. 1.], parts of the body operated upon: secta recentia, Plin. 31, 11, 47, § 126.