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.
