A.tear or drag away from, “τινός” S.Aj.1024, Pl.R. 491b, etc.; “ἀ. τινὰ ἀπὸ γυναικὸς καὶ τέκνων” Hdt.3.1, cf. 102; “ἀποσπάσας. . περόνας ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς” S.OT1268; “μή μου τὸ τέκνον ἐκ χερῶν ἀποσπάσῃς” E.Hec.277: rarely ἀ. τινά τι tear a thing from one, S.OC 866; ἀ. τινά tear him away, Hdt.6.91; ἀ. τι τῆς λείας detach, abstract some of it, Plb.2.26.8: metaph., “ἀ. τινὰ ἐλπίδος” S.OT1432; and reversely also “ἀ. τῆς φρενὸς αἵ μοι μόναι παρῆσαν ἐλπίδων” Id.El.809; detach, withdraw, πλήρωμα a gang of labourers, PPetr.3p.129 (iii B.C.); “τινὰ ἀπό τινος” BGU1125.9 (i B.C.), cf. infr. 5; “μαθητάς” Act.Ap.20.30; “ἀ. πολίτας τῆς θαλάσσης” Plu.Them.19; “ἀπὸ τοῦ φρονεῖν τινά” Ar.Ra.962:—Med., τὴν μάχην οὕτω μακρὰν τῆς ναυτικῆς “βοηθείας” Plu.Pomp.76:—Pass., to be dragged away, detached, separated from, “τινός” Pi.P.9.33, E.Alc.287, etc.; “ἐξ ἱροῦ” Hdt.1.160; “ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν” Th.3.81; of a bone, to be torn off, Hp.Art.13; “ἀκρώμιον -σπασθέν” Id.Mochl.6.
2. ἀ. τινὰ κόμης drag away by the hair, A. Supp.909.
3. ἀ. πύλας, θύρας, tear off the gates, doors, Hdt.1.17, 3.159, etc.: metaph., πινακηδὸν ἀποσπῶν [ῥήματα] Ar.Ra.824.
4. ἀ. τὸ στρατόπεδον draw off, divert the army, X.HG1.3.17: abs., “ἀποσπάσας” having drawn off, Id.An.7.2.11:—Pass., of troops, to become separated or broken, Th.7.80, Plb.1.27.9.
5. withdraw, reclaim, POxy.496.9.
6. ἀπεσπασμένος, ὁ, eunuch, LXXLe.22.24.
II. intr. (sc. ἑαυτόν), separate (i.e. be separated) from, Ael. NA10.48, Luc.Icar.11, D.C.56.22; and in X.An.1.5.3 the best Mss. give πολὺ γὰρ ἀπέσπα (for ἀπέπτα) φεύγουσα [στρουθός].