View source for pessum

{{Lewis
|lshtext=<b>pessum</b>: adv. prob. contr. from [[pedis]]-[[versum]], πέξα, [[πέδον]], [[towards]] the feet; [[like]] [[susum]], [[sursum]], from sub-[[versum]]; [[hence]], in gen.,<br /><b>I</b> to the [[ground]], to the [[bottom]], [[down]] ([[mostly]] [[ante]]-[[class]]. and postAug.; esp. freq. in the [[connection]] [[pessum]] [[ire]] and [[pessum]] [[dare]]).<br /><b>I</b> Lit.: [[nunc]] eam (cistellulam) cum navi [[scilicet]] abisse [[pessum]] in [[altum]], Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 64: [[quando]] abiit [[rete]] [[pessum]], id. Truc. 1, 1, 15; and: ne [[pessum]] abeat ([[ratis]]), id. Aul. 4, 1, 12: multae per [[mare]] [[pessum]] Subsedere urbes, [[have]] [[gone]] to the [[bottom]], been swallowed up, Lucr. 6, 589: ubi dulcem caseum demiseris in eam (muriam), si [[pessum]] ibit, etc. (opp. si innatabit), goes to the [[bottom]], sinks, Col. 12, 6, 2 (cf. also the [[fig]]. taken from a [[ship]], in II.): ut ([[lacus]]) folia non innatantia ferat, sed [[pessum]] et [[penitus]] accipiat, Mel. 3, 9, 2: sidentia [[pessum]] Corpora [[caesa]] tenent, Luc. 3, 674: [[quam]] celsa cacumina [[pessum]] Tellus victa dedit, sent to the [[bottom]], id. 5, 616: [[pessum]] mergere [[pedes]], Prud. praef. ap. Symm. 2, 36.—<br /><b>II</b> Trop.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>A</b> Pessum [[ire]], and [[rarely]] [[pessum]] sidere, to [[fall]] to the [[ground]], go to [[ruin]]; to [[sink]], [[perish]]: [[quia]] [[miser]] non eo [[pessum]], etc., Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 12: [[pessum]] ituros fecundissimos Italiae campos, si, etc., Tac. A. 1, 79: [[pessum]] iere vitae pretia, Plin. H. N. 14 prooem. § 5: vitia civitatis degenerantis et [[pessum]] suā [[mole]] sidentis, Sen. Const. Sap. 2, 3.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>B</b> Pessum [[dare]] (less correctly, in one [[word]], pessumdare or pessundare), [[rarely]] [[pessum]] premere, agere, deicere, to [[send]] to the [[bottom]], to [[sink]], [[ruin]], [[destroy]], [[undo]]; to [[put]] [[out]] of the [[world]], [[put]] an [[end]] to: [[pessum]] [[dare]] aliquem verbis, Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 8, 6, 47: [[pessum]] dedisti me blandimentis tuis, Plaut. Rud. 2, 6, 23; id. Merc. 5, 2, 6: [[exemplum]] pessumum [[pessum]] [[date]], do [[away]] [[with]], [[remove]], id. Rud. 3, 2, 3: quae res [[plerumque]] magnas civitates [[pessum]] dedit, Sall. J. 42, 4: quae, si non [[astu]] providentur, me aut erum [[pessum]] dabunt, Ter. And. 1, 3, 3: multos [[etiam]] bonos [[pessum]] dedit, Tac. A. 3, 66 fin.: ingentes hostium copias, Val. Max. 4, 4, 5: [[sin]] ([[animus]]) ad inertiam et voluptates corporis pessumdatus est, has sunk [[into]] [[indolence]], Sall. J. 1, 4: aliquem pro suis factis pessumis [[pessum]] premere, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 49: aetate [[pessum]] actā, i. e. brought to an [[end]], Auct. ap. Lact. 1, 11: nec [[sum]] [[mulier]], [[nisi]] eam [[pessum]] de tantis opibus dejecero, App. M. 5, p. 161, 22; cf. id. ib. 5, p. 163, 22.<br /><b>pessum</b>: i, n. (collat. form pes-sus, i, m., Plin. Val. 1, 5 fin.; Theod. Prisc. 2, 5), = [[πεσσόν]], [[πεσσός]], in medic. lang.,<br /><b>I</b> a pessary, App. Herb. 121; Theod. Prisc. 3, 5 (in Cels. 5, 21, written as Greek).
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