ἀποκόπτω

English (LSJ)

   A cut off, hew off, freq. in Hom., of men's limbs, κάρη ἀπέκοψε Il.11.261; ἀπό τ' αὐχένα κόψας ib.146, al.; in Prose, χεῖρας ἀ. Hdt.6.91, etc.; ἀγκύρας X.HG1.6.21; γεφύρας Plu.Nic.26; amputate, Archig. ap. Orib.47.13.2; νηῶν ἀποκόψειν ἄκρα κόρυμβα Il.9.241; ἀπὸ πείσματ' ἔκοψα νεός Od.10.127; ἀΐξας ἀπέκοψε παρήορον he cut loose the trace-horse, Il.16.474:—Pass., ἀποκεκόψονται, of buds, will be cut off, Ar.Nu.1125, cf. M.Ant.11.8; ἀ. τὴν χεῖρα have it cut off, Hdt.6.114; ἀ.τὰ γεννητικά, of eunuchs, Ph.1.89: abs., ἀποκεκομμένος eunuch, LXXDe.23.1, cf.Luc.Eun.8:—Med., make oneself a eunuch, Ep.Gal.5.12, cf. Arr.Epict.2.20.19.    2 metaph., ἀπ' ἐλπίδα φημὶ κεκόφθαι ναυτιλίης νόστου τε A.R.4.1272, cf. Plb.3.63.8; ἔλεον D.S.13.23; ἀ. τὸ ἀμφίβολον τῆς γνώμης decide summarily, Alciphr.1.8; also ἀποκοπῆναι τῆς ἐλπίδος Plu.Pyrrh.2; διὰ τὸ μὴ ἀποκόπτειν τὴν πολυχρόνιον ζωήν exclude from the reckoning, despair of, Phld.Herc.1251.22; reject, exclude, Id.Sign.7, D.3.13:—Med., dub.in Phld.Mort.23.    3 esp. of voice or breath, cut short, τὸν τοῦ πνεύματος τόνον D.H.Comp.14, cf. 22:—Pass., ἀποκέκοπταί τινι ἡ φωνή Plu.Dem.25, cf. Dsc.Eup.1.85.    4 of literary periods or phrases, bring to an abrupt close, δεῖ τῆ μακρᾶ -κόπτεσθαι Arist.Rh. 1409a19, cf. Demetr.Eloc.18,238.    5 Gramm., in Pass., to be cut short by ἀποκοπή (q.v.), Eust.487.10, EM609.54.    6 abstract an idea or word from its context, τὸ ἀγαθὸς ἀποκοπέν Anon.in SE57.31.    II ἀ. τινὰ ἀπὸ τόπου beat off from a strong place, of soldiers, X.An.3.4.39, 4.2.10.    III Med., smite the breast in mourning: c. acc., mourn for, νεκρόν E.Tr.628.