I.to cut the hair short, shear, clip, Il., Hdt., Eur.:— Mid. to cut off one's hair or have it cut off, as in deep mourning, Hom., Eur., etc.:—Pass., βοστρύχους κεκαρμένος having one's locks cut off, Eur.; κεκάρθαι τὰς κεφαλάς to have their heads shorn, in sign of mourning, Hdt.: of the hair, to be cut off, Pind.
II.to cut or hew out, Il.; ὕλην Soph.
III.to ravage a country, by cutting down the crops and fruit-trees, Hdt., Thuc.:—Pass., of a country, to be ravaged, Thuc.:—Mid., Ἄρης πλάκα κερσάμενος having had the plain swept clean (by destroying the men), Aesch.
IV.generally, to destroy, and so,
1.to tear, eat greedily, Lat. depasci, of beasts, Hom.; ἔκειρε πολύκερων φόνον, i. e. he slaughtered many a horned beast, Soph.
2.of the suitors, to consume, waste one's substance, Od.
