Lewis & Short

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tĕro, trīvi, trītum, 3 (perf. terii, acc. to Charis. p. 220 P.; perf. sync. tristi, Cat. 66, 30), v. a. [root ter; Gr. τείρω, τρύω, τρίβω, to rub; cf. Lat. tribulare, triticum; akin to τέρην, tender, Lat. teres], to rub, rub to pieces; to bruise, grind, bray, triturate (syn.: frico, tundo, pinso).

  1. I. Lit. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
    1. A. In gen.: num me illuc ducis, ubi lapis lapidem terit? (i. e. into a mill), Plaut. As. 1, 1, 16: lacrimulam oculos terendo vix vi exprimere, Ter. Eun. 1, 1, 23: teritur lignum ligno ignemque concipit attritu, Plin. 16, 40, 77. § 208: sed nihil hederā praestantius quae teritur, lauro quae terat, id. ib.: aliquid in mortario, id. 34, 10, 22, § 104: aliquid in farinam, id. 34, 18, 50, § 170: bacam trapetis, Verg. G. 2, 519: unguibus herbas, Ov. M. 9, 655: dentes in stipite, id. ib. 8, 369: lumina manu, Cat. 66, 30: sucina trita redolent, Mart. 3, 64, 5: piper, Petr. 74: Appia trita rotis, Ov. P. 2, 7, 44: cibum in ventre, i. e. to digest, Cels. 1 praef. med.
      Poet.: labellum calamo, i. e. to rub one’s lip (in playing), Verg. E. 2, 34: calcemque terit jam calce Diores, treads upon, id. A. 5, 324: crystalla labris, Mart. 9, 23, 7.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To rub grain from the ears by treading, to tread out, thresh: frumentum, Varr. R. R. 1, 13, 5: milia frumenti tua triverit area centum, Hor. S. 1, 1, 45: area dum messes teret, Tib. 1, 5, 22: teret area culmos, Verg. G. 1, 192; cf.: ut patria careo, bis frugibus area trita est, i. e. it has twice been harvest-time, Ov. Tr. 4, 6, 19.
      2. 2. To cleanse or beautify by rubbing, to smooth, furbish, burnish, polish, sharpen (syn.: polio, acuo): oculos, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 103: crura mordaci pumice, Ov. A. A. 1, 506: hinc radios trivere rotis, smoothed, turned, Verg. G. 2, 444: vitrum torno, Plin. 36, 26, 66, § 193: catillum manibus, Hor. S. 1, 3, 90: tritus cimice lectus, Mart. 11, 33, 1.
      3. 3. To lessen by rubbing, to rub away; to wear away by use, wear out: (navem) ligneam, saepe tritam, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 52: hoc (tempus) rigidas silices, hoc adamanta terit, Ov. Tr. 4, 6. 14: ferrum, to dull, id. M. 12, 167: mucronem rubigine silicem liquore, Prop. 2, 25 (3, 20), 15: trita labore colla, Ov. M. 15, 124: trita subucula, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 96: trita vestis, id. ib. 1, 19, 38: librum, i. e. to read often, Mart. 8, 3, 4; 11, 3, 4; cf.: quid haberet, Quod legeret tereretque viritim publicus usus? Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 92: pocula labris patrum trita, Mart. 11, 12, 3: ut illum di terant, qui primum olitor caepam protulit, crush, annihilate, Naev. ap. Prisc. p. 681 P.
      4. 4. Of persons, pass., to be employed in. occupied with: nos qui in foro verisque litibus terimur, Plin. Ep. 2, 3, 5: litibus, id. ib. 10, 12, 3.
      5. 5. To tread often, to visit, frequent a way or place (cf.: calco, calcito): angustum formica terens iter, Verg. G. 1, 380: iter propositum, Prop. 2, 30 (3, 28), 14: Appiam mannis, Hor. Epod. 4, 14: viam, Ov. A. A. 1, 52; Lucr. 1, 927: via trita pede, Tib. 4, 13, 10: ambulator porticum terit, Mart. 2, 11, 2: limina, id. 10, 10, 2: mea nocturnis trita fenestra dolis, Prop. 4 (5), 7, 16: nec jam clarissimorum virorum receptacula habitatore servo teruntur, Plin. Pan. 50, 3: flavaeque terens querceta Maricae Liris, Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olybr 259.
      6. 6. In mal. part.: Bojus est, Bojam terit, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 108; so Prop. 3, 11 (4. 10), 30; Petr. 87.
  2. II. Trop. (freq. in good prose).
    1. A. To wear away, use up, i. e. to pass, spend time; usu. to waste, spend in dissipation, etc. (syn.: absumo, consumo): teritur dies, Plaut. Truc. 5, 20: diem sermone terere segnities merast, id. Trin. 3, 3, 67: naves diem trivere, Liv. 37, 27, 8: tempus in convivio luxuque, id. 1, 57, 9: tempus ibi in secreto, id. 26, 19, 5: omnem aetatem in his discendis rebus, Cic. de Or. 3, 31, 123: teretur interea tempus, id. Phil. 5, 11, 30: jam alteram aetatem bellis civilibus, Hor. Epod. 16, 1: omne aevum ferro, Verg. A. 9, 609: spe otia, id. ib. 4, 271: otium conviviis comissationibusque inter se, Liv. 1, 57, 5.
    2. B. To expend, employ (late Lat.): qui operam teri frustra, Amm. 27, 12, 12.
    3. C. To exert greatly, exhaust: ne in opere longinquo sese tererent, Liv 6, 8, 10: ut in armis terant plebem, id. 6, 27, 7.
    4. D. Of language, to wear out by use, i. e. to render common, commonplace, or trite (in verb finit. very rare, but freq. as a P. a.): jam hoc verbum satis hesterno sermone trivimus, Cic. Ac. 2, 6, 18: quae (nomina) nunc consuetudo diurna trivit, id. Fin. 3, 4, 15.
    5. * E. To tread under foot, i. e. to injure, violate a thing: jurata deorum majestas teritur, Claud. in Rufin. 1, 228.
      Hence, P. a.: trītus, a, um.
    1. A. Prop. of a road or way, oft-trodden, beaten, frequented, common: iter, Cic. Phil. 1, 3, 7: via, id. Brut. 81, 281: quadrijugi spatium, Ov. M. 2, 167.
      Sup.: tritissima quaeque via, Sen. Vit. Beat. 1, 2.
    2. B. Fig.
      1. 1. Practised, expert: tritas aures habere, Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 4; so id. Brut. 32, 124.
        Comp.: tritiores manūs ad aedificandum perficere, Vitr. 2, 1, 6.
      2. 2. Of language, used often or much, familiar, common, commonplace, trite: quid in Graeco sermone tam tritum atque celebratum est, quam, etc., Cic. Fl. 27, 65: nomen minus tritum sermone nostro, id. Rep. 2, 29, 52: ex quo illud: summum jus summā injuriā factum est jam tritum sermone proverbium, id. Off. 1, 10, 33.
        Comp.: faciamus tractando usitatius hoc verbum ac tritius, Cic. Ac. 1, 7, 27: compedes, quas induere aureas mos tritior vetat, Plin. 33, 12, 54, § 152.

terra (archaic tera, Varr. L. L. 5, 4, 21), ae (gen. terras, Naev. ap. Prisc. p. 679 P.: terraï, Enn. ap. Charis. p. 7 ib. (Ann. v. 479 Vahl.); Lucr. 1, 212; 1, 251; 2, 1063; 3, 989 et saep.), f. [perh. Sanscr. root tarsh-, to be dry, thirsty; Lat. torreo, torris; Germ Durst; Engl. thirst; prop. the dry land], the earth, opp. to the heavens, the sea, the air, etc.; land, ground, soil (cf.: tellus, solum).

  1. I. In gen.: principio terra universa cernatur, locata in mediā sede mundi, solida et globosa et undique ipsa in sese nutibus suis conglobata, etc., Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 98: terra in medio mundo sita, id. Tusc. 1, 17, 40: hunc statum esse hujus totius mundi atque naturae, rotundum ut caelum, terra ut media sit, eaque suā vi nutuque teneatur, id. de Or. 3, 45, 178: umbra terrae, id. Rep. 1, 14, 22: terrae motus, earthquakes, id. Div. 1, 18, 35; 1, 35, 78; cf. Sen. Q. N. 6, 1, 1 sqq.; Curt. 4, 4 fin.: Plin. 2, 79, 81, § 191 sq.: res invectae ex terrā, Cic. Rep. 2, 5, 10: terra continens adventus hostium denuntiat, id. ib. 2, 3, 6: Massilia fere ex tribus oppidi partibus mari alluitur: reliqua quarta est, quae aditum habeat a terrā, Caes. B. C. 2, 1: cui parti (insulae) nulla est objecta terra, id. B. G. 5, 13: iter terrā petere, Cic. Planc. 40, 96; cf.: ipse terrā eodem pergit, Liv. 31, 16, 3: esse in terrā atque in tuto loco, on solid ground, Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 87: ex magnā jactatione terram videns, Cic. Mur. 2, 4: terrā marique, by land and by water (very freq.), id. Att. 9, 1, 3; id. Imp. Pomp. 19, 56; Vatin. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 9, 2; Sall. C. 13, 3; cf. Cic. Ac. 2, 38, 120: insidiae terrā marique factae, id. Verr. 1, 2, 3; the form et terrā et mari is also class., id. ib. 2, 2, 39, § 96 (B. and K. bracket the first et); 2, 5, 50, § 131; id. Mur. 15, 33; Liv. 37, 29, 5; Nep. Hann. 10, 2; id. Ham. 1, 2; id. Alcib. 1, 2; Sen. Ep 60, 2; 101, 4; for which also: bellum terrā et mari comparat, id. Att. 10, 4, 3: terrā ac mari, id. Verr. 2, 2, 2, § 4: marique terrāque usque quāque quaeritat, Plaut. Poen. prol. 105: aut terrā aut mari, id. Ps. 1, 3, 83: mari atque terrā, Sall. C. 53, 2: mari ac terrā, Flor. 2, 8, 11: mari terrāque, Liv. 37, 11, 9; 37, 52, 3: natura sic ab his investigata est, ut nulla pars caelo, mari, terrā (ut poëtice loquar) praetermissa sit, Cic. Fin. 5, 4, 9: eorum, quae gignuntur e terrā, stirpes et stabilitatem dant iis, quae sustinent, et ex terrā sucum trahunt, etc., id. N. D. 2, 47, 120: num qui nummi exciderunt, ere, tibi, quod sic terram Obtuere? Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 17: tollere saxa de terrā, Cic. Caecin. 21, 60: tam crebri ad terram accidebant, quam pira, Plaut. Poen. 2, 38; so, ad terram, id. Capt. 4, 2, 17; id. Pers. 2, 4, 22; id. Rud. 4, 3, 71: aliquem in terram statuere, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 18: ne quid in terram defluat, Cic. Lael. 16, 58: penitus terrae defigitur arbos, Verg. G. 2, 290; so. terrae (dat.), id. ib. 2, 318; id. A. 11, 87; Ov. M. 2, 347; Liv. 5, 51, 3; Plin. 14, 21, 27, § 133 al.: sub terris si jura deum, in the infernal regions, Prop. 3, 5 (4, 4), 39; cf.: mei sub terras ibit imago, Verg. A. 4, 654: genera terrae, kinds of earth, Plin. 35, 16, 53, § 191: Samia terra, Samian pottery clay, id. 28, 12, 53, § 194: terrae filius, son of earth, i. e. human being, Cic. Att. 1, 13, 4: terrā orti, natives of the soil, aborigines, autochthones, Quint. 3, 7, 26: cum aquam terramque ab Lacedaemoniis petierunt, water and earth (as a token of subjection), Liv. 35, 17, 7: terram edere, Cels. 2, 7, 7.
    1. B. Personified, Terra, the Earth, as a goddess; usu. called Tellus, Magna Mater, Ceres, Cybele, etc.: jam si est Ceres a gerendo, Terra ipsa dea est et ita habetur: quae est enim alia Tellus? Cic. N. D. 3, 20, 52; cf. Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 5; Ov. F. 6, 299; 6. 460; Hyg. Fab. 55; 140; 152; Naev. 2, 16; Suet. Tib. 75.
  2. II. In partic., a land, country, region, territory (cf.: regio, plaga, tractus): Laurentis terra, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 762 P. (Ann. v. 35 Vahl.): terra erilis patria, Plaut. Stich. 5. 2, 2; cf.: in nostrā terrā in Apuliā, id. Cas. prol. 72: tua, id. Men. 2, 1, 4: mea, Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 128: in hac terrā, Cic. Lael. 4, 13: in eā terrā (sc. Sicilia), id. Verr. 2, 4, 48, § 106: terra Gallia, Caes. B. G. 1, 30: terra Italia, Liv. 25 7, 4 Drak. N. cr.; 29, 10, 5; 30, 32, 6; 38, 47 6; 39, 17, 2; 42, 29, 1: Africa, id. 29, 23, 10 Hispania, id. 38, 58, 5: Pharsalia, id. 33, 6, 11.
    In plur.: in quascumque terras, Cic. Rep. 2, 4, 9: eae terrae, id. Verr. 2, 3, 18, § 47: qui terras incolunt eas, in quibus, etc., id. N. D. 2, 16, 42: abire in aliquas terras, id. Cat. 1, 8, 20: (Cimbri) alias terras petierunt, Caes. B. G. 7, 77 et saep.
    Esp., terrae, the earth, the world: pecunia tanta, quanta est in terris, in the whole earth, in the world, Cic. Agr. 2, 23, 62: quid erat in terris, ubi, etc., id. Phil. 2, 19, 48; 2, 20, 50; 2, 23, 57; id. Cael. 5, 12: ruberes Viveret in terris te si quis avarior, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 157; Sen. Prov. 2, 9; so, aureus hanc vitam in terris Saturnus agebat, Verg. G. 2, 538: terrarum cura, id. ib. 1, 26.
    Ante-class., also in terrā, in the world: quibus nunc in terrā melius est? Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 100: scelestiorem in terrā nullam esse alteram, id. Cist. 4, 1, 8; id. Mil. 1, 1, 52; 2, 3, 42; id. Bacch. 5, 2, 51; id. Aul. 5, 9, 12; id. Curc. 1, 2, 51.
    Hence also the phrase orbis terrarum, the world, the whole world, all nations: quae orbem terrarum implevere famā, Plin. 36, 36, 13, § 76: Graecia in toto orbe terrarum potentissima, id. 18, 7, 12, § 65: cujus tres testes essent totum orbem terrarum nostro imperio teneri, Cic. Balb. 6, 16; but freq. also orbis terrarum, the world, i. e. the empire of Rome: orbis terrarum gentiumque omnium, id. Agr. 2, 13, 33; cf. id. Rosc. Am. 36, 103; while orbis terrae, the globe, the earth, the world, id. Phil. 13, 15, 30; id. Fam. 5, 7, 3; id. Fl. 41, 103; id. Agr. 1, 1, 2; but also with ref. to the Roman dominion, id. de Or. 3, 32, 131; id. Sull. 11, 33; id. Dom. 42, 110; id. Phil. 8, 3, 10; id. Off, 2, 8, 27; id. Cat. 1, 1, 3; cf. of the Senate: publicum orbis terrae consilium, id. Fam. 3, 8, 4; id. Cat. 1, 4, 9; id. Phil. 3, 14, 34; 4, 6, 14; 7, 7, 19; v. orbis: quoquo hinc asportabitur terrarum, certum est persequi, Ter. Phorm. 3, 3, 18: ubi terrarum esses, ne suspicabar quidem, in what country, or where in the world, Cic. Att. 5, 10, 4, so, ubi terrarum, id. Rab. Post. 13, 37: ubicumque terrarum, id. Verr. 2, 5, 55, § 143; id. Phil. 2, 44, 113.