exsolvo
δυοῖν κακοῖν προκειμένοιν τὸ μὴ χεῖρον βέλτιστον → the lesser of two evils, the less bad thing of a pair of bad things, better the devil you know, better the devil you know than the devil you don't, better the devil you know than the devil you don't know, better the devil you know than the one you don't, better the devil you know than the one you don't know, the devil that you know is better than the devil that you don't know, the devil we know is better than the devil we don't, the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know, the devil you know is better than the devil you don't
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
ex-solvo: solvi, sŏlūtum, 3 (
I per diaeresin exsolŭātur, Lucr. 1, 811: exsolŭïsse, Ov. F. 4, 534; cf. solvo, init.), v. a., to loose, unloose, to unbind, untie, undo (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
I Lit.
A In gen.: nexus, Lucr. 1, 220: Am. Agedum, eam solve cistulam. So. Quid ego istam exsolvam? undo, unseal, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 152: properans exsolvi restim, id. Rud. 2, 3, 37: catenas Caecinae, Tac. H. 3, 31: vincula, id. A. 3, 33; id. H. 3, 12: pugionem a latere, to ungird, id. H. 3, 68: venas praebere exsolvendas, to be opened, id. A. 4, 22; 11, 3; 16, 17: brachia ferro eodem ictu, id. ib. 15, 63: amictus, to pull off, Stat. S. 1, 5, 53: venenum exsoluta alvo transmisit, i. e. in a flux, diarrhœa, Tac. A. 13, 15.—Of an inanimate subject: (ignis) exsolvit glaciem, dissolves, melts, Lucr. 6, 878.—
B In partic.
1 To set loose, release, deliver, free (mostly poet.): aliquem vinclis, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 10; so, exsolutus vinculis, Suet. Ner. 49: jube sis me exsolvi cito, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 8, 16 sq.: sese e nervis (animae), Lucr. 3, 696; cf. id. 1, 811: se paulatim corpore (said of one dying), Verg. A. 11, 829: quo (sanguine), Tac. H. 5, 6.—
2 In mercant. lang. (qs. to free from obligation, v. solvo, to discharge, pay a debt): nomina mea, per deos, expedi, exsolve (for which, shortly after: hoc quod debeo plane expedias et solutum relinquas), Cic. Att. 16, 6, 3: aes alienum, Plin. Ep. 3, 11, 2: pretium, Plaut. Men. 5, 6, 26: multiplicem sortem, Liv. 6, 14, 7: dotem uxori, Aur. Vict. Vir. Ill. 56: legata, Tac. A. 1, 36 fin. et saep. —
II Trop.
A In gen., to throw off, lay aside, rid one's self of a thing: legis nexus, Tac. A. 3, 28 fin.: metus, i. e. to lay aside, Luc. 5, 259: pudorem, Stat. Ach. 1, 565: robur peditum ad exsolvendum obsidium ducit, i. e. to raise, Tac. A. 3, 39.—
B In partic.
1 To release, free from any thing: animum artis nodis religionum, Lucr. 1, 932; 4, 7: animos religione, Liv. 8, 9, 13: populum religione, id. 3, 20, 4: se occupationibus, Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 5: aliquem errore, suspicione, Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 26: aliquem aere alieno, Liv. 6, 14, 11: curis, Verg. A. 4, 652: sollicitudine, Plin. Ep. 1, 22, 11: contumeliā, Tac. A. 13, 36: poenā, id. ib. 14, 12: custode, id. ib. 12, 46 et saep.—
2 To discharge, pay a debt or an obligation: de tertio genere se scripsit dicturum, nec exsolvit quod promiserat, but did not keep his promise, Cic. Off. 3, 2, 7: vota (deo), Plaut. Am. 3, 2, 67; Liv. 21, 21, 9 (opp. se obligare): jus jurandum, id. 24, 18, 5: fidem, to fulfil one's promise, id. 26, 31, 10: praemia, poenas alicui, to award, id. 26, 40, 15: gratiam recte factis, alicujus, id. 28, 25, 6; cf. grates, to render, give, Tac. A. 14, 13: beneficia, to repay, requite, id. ib. 11, 18; cf.: vicem beneficio, id. H. 4, 3: poenas morte, to suffer, id. A. 1, 10; cf. Vell. 2, 88 fin.—
3 To solve, explain any thing enigmatical or obscure: perfacile est parili ratione exsolvere nobis, quare, etc., Lucr. 2, 381.
Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)
exsolvō,⁹ solvī, sŏlūtum, ĕre, tr.,
1 délier, dénouer, détacher : nexus exsolvere Lucr. 1, 221, détacher des liens ; exsolvere pugionem a latere Tac. H. 3, 68, détacher un poignard de son côté || [fig.] expliquer : animi ratione exsolvere quare... Lucr. 2, 381, expliquer par le raisonnement pourquoi...
2 dégager, débarrasser, délivrer : aliquem vinclis Pl. Truc. 784, débarrasser qqn de ses liens ; aliquem curis Virg. En. 4, 652, délivrer qqn de ses soucis
3 dissoudre : ignis exsolvit glaciem Lucr. 6, 879, le feu fond la glace
4 ouvrir : exsolvere cistulam Pl. Amph. 784, ouvrir une corbeille ; venas Tac. Ann. 4, 22, ouvrir les veines
5 payer intégralement, acquitter, s’acquitter de : exsolve nomina mea Cic. Att. 16, 6, 3, paye les billets que j’ai souscrits, paye mes dettes ; non exsolvit, quod promiserat Cic. Off. 2, 7, il n’a pas tenu sa promesse ; pretia, pœnas Liv. 26, 40, 15, s’acquitter des récompenses et des punitions (récompenser, punir)
6 faire disparaître, éloigner, bannir [pr. et fig.] : exsolvere obsidium Tac. Ann. 3, 39, lever un siège ; metus Luc. 5, 259, bannir ses craintes.
Latin > German (Georges)
ex-solvo, solvī, solūtum, ere, I) auseinander lösen, auflösen, A) eig.: restim, Plaut.: glaciem, schmelzen, (v. Feuer), Lucr.: venas, sich die Adern öffnen, Tac.: exsoluta alvus, Durchfall, Tac.: bildl., nodum huius erroris (diesen verwickelten Knoten der Ungewißheit), Liv. – B) übtr.: 1) im allg.: exsoluti plerique legis nexus, Tac.: exs. obsidium, aufheben, Tac.: famem, vertreiben, Ov.: u. so metus, Lucan. – 2) insbes., erklärend auflösen, erklären, perfacile est animi ratione exsolvere nobis, quare etc., Lucr. 2, 381. – II) losmachen, befreien, A) eig.: alqm vinculis, Plaut.: se corpore, Verg.: se e nervis, Lucr. – B) übtr.: 1) alqā re = von etw. losmachen, erlösen, befreien, plebem aere alieno, Liv.: se occupationibus, Cic.: se suspicione, Ter.: se voto, Petron.: alqm poenā, Tac.: nexos (die Schuldhörigen), Liv. epit. – 2) etw. gleichs. von der Verpflichtung lösen, a) als t. t. der Geschäftsspr., eine Geldschuld u. dgl. auszahlen, bezahlen, aes alienum, Plin. ep. u. ICt.: nomina, Cic.: dotem, Aur. Vict.: legata, Tac.: domuum et insularum pretia, Tac.: stipendium praeteritum (den rückständigen Sold) cum fide, Liv.: u. so stipendia pluribus retro debita (rückständigen), Lampr.: mercedem decurioni, Tac. – b) übh. zu Leistendes, Versprochenes leisten, abtragen, erfüllen, pretia poenasque, austeilen, Liv.: recte factis gratiam, erweisen, Liv.: poenas morte, büßen, Tac.: poenas male consultorum, erleiden, Vell.: beneficia, vergelten, wettmachen, Tac.: culpam, sühnen, Tac. – vota, Liv. u. Tac.: promissum suum, Tac.: fidem (Versprechen), Liv.: u. so fidem publicam, Liv.: prioris epistulae fidem, Plin. ep.: iusiurandum, Liv.
Latin > English
exsolvo exsolvere, exsolvi, exsolutus V :: set free; pay; throw off; release; perform