decerpo

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

dē-cerpo: psi, ptum, 3, v. a. carpo,
I to pluck off, to tear, pull, or break off, to crop, gather (class.; most freq. in the poets.—Constr., usually aliquid ex aliqua re; less freq. aliquid de aliqua re).
I Lit.: acina de uvis decerpito, Cato R. R. 112, 3: novos flores, Lucr. 1, 927; 4, 3; cf.: undique decerptam fronti praeponere olivam, Hor. Od. 1, 7, 7: arbore pomum, Ov. M. 5, 536; cf. id. Pont. 3, 5, 19; and auricomos fetus arbore, Verg. A. 6, 141: praetenuia fila ex abietibus, Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 128; lilia tenero ungui, Prop. 1, 20, 39; cf.: pollice florem, Ov. F. 5, 255; and aurea poma manu mea, id. M. 10, 649; Val. Max. 2, 8, 5: herbas, Ov. M. 1, 645: ficum, Juv. 14, 253 et saep.—Absol.: floret (thymum) circa solstitia, cum et apes decerpunt, Plin. 21, 10, 31, § 56; Catull. 64, 316.—
II Trop.: quae (omnia) nisi cotidie decerpantur arescunt, Quint. 12, 10, 79: humanus animus decerptus ex mente divina, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38; cf. Quint. 4, 1, 23: ne quid jocus de gravitate decerperet, Cic. de Or. 2, 56, 229: quarum (materiarum) nunc facillima decerpunt, Quint. 10, 5, 21.—Poet.: oscula mordenti semper decerpere rostro, Catull. 68, 127 (cf.: carpo, no. II. 1); for which, ora puellae, Verg. Cop. 33 Sillig.—Hence,
   B Transf.
   1    (Acc. to carpo, no. II. 1.) To enjoy: ex re fructus, Hor. S. 1, 2, 79: primas noctes tecum epulis, Pers. 5, 43: murmura vocis, Stat. Th. 6, 165: decus primae pugnae, Sil. 4, 138; cf.: nihil sibi ex ista laude centurio decerpit, Cic. Marc. 2, 7: mulieres, Vulg. Baruch, 6, 27.—
   2    (Acc. to carpo, no. II. 1.) To destroy: quae (invidia) spes tantas decerpat, Quint. 6 prooem. § 10; cf.: illibatam virginitatem, Sen. Contr. 1, 2 med.>