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.

tergeo or less freq. tergo, si, sum, 2 or 3 (v. Neue, Formenl. 2, 423 sq.; part. perf. tertus, Varr. ap. Non. 179, 7 and 8), v. a. [for stergo; akin to stringo; Gr. στραγγεύω, to twist], to rub off, wipe off, wipe dry, wipe clean, cleanse.

  1. I. Lit. (class.; syn. verro): numquam concessavimus Lavari aut fricari aut tergeri aut ornari, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 10: mantelium, ubi manus terguntur, Varr L. L. 6, § 85 Müll.; so, frontem sudario, Quint. 6, 3, 60: nares in adversum, id. 11, 3, 121: fossas, to dry, Cato, R. R. 2, 4; Col. 2, 21, 3: aequatam (mensam) mentae tersere virentes, Ov. M. 8, 663: pars leves clipeos et spicula lucida tergent, rub off, polish, burnish, Verg. A. 7, 626: arma, Liv. 26, 51, 4: leve argentum, vasa aspera, Juv. 14, 62: manuque simul velut lacrimantia tersit Lumina, Ov. M. 13, 132: oculos pedibus, Plin. 11, 48, 108, § 258.
    Poet.: aridus unde aures terget sonus ille, grates upon, Lucr. 6, 119: nubila caeli (Aurora), to scatter, Sil. 16, 136: tergere palatum, to tickle the palate, Hor. S. 2, 2, 24.
    Absol.: qui tractant ista, qui tergunt, qui ungunt, qui verrunt, * Cic. Par. 5, 2, 37: si QVIS TERGERE ORNARE REFICERR VOLET (sc. aram), Inscr. Orell. 2489.
  2. II. Trop. (very rare): librum, i. e. to improve, amend, Mart. 6, 1, 3: scelus, to expiate, Sen. Herc. Oet. 907.
    Hence, tersus, a, um, P. a., wiped off, i. e. clean, neat (not in Cic.).
    1. A. Lit.: (mulier) lauta, tersa, ornata, etc., Plaut. Stich. 5, 5, 4; cf id. Pa. 1, 2, 31; cf.: alii sunt circumtonsi et tersi atque unctuli, Varr. ap Non. 179, 8: plantae, Ov. M. 2, 736: tersum diem pro sereno dictum ab antiquis, Fest. p. 363 Müll.
    2. B. Trop., pure, correct, nice, neat, terse: judicium acre tersumque. Quint. 12, 10, 20: tersum ac limatum esse oportet quod libris dedicatur, id. 12, 10, 50: elegiae tersus atque elegans auctor, id. 10, 1, 93; of in comp.: multo est tersior ac purus magis (Horatius), id. 10, 1, 94: opus tersum, molle, jucundum, Plin. Ep. 9, 22, 2; so, praefationes tersae, graciles, dulces, id. ib. 2, 3, 1.
      Sup.: vir in judicio litterarum tersissimus, Stat. S. 2 praef.
      No adv.

1. tersus, a, um, Part. of tergeo.

2. tersus, ūs, m. [tergeo], a wiping off, cleansing (Appuleian): lintea tersui profer, App. M. 1, p. 113, 2: tersui dentium petere aliquid, i.e. for tooth-powder, id. Mag. p. 277, 2.