I.pluperf. avellerat, Curt. 5, 6, 5; perf. avulsi, Luc. 9, 764), to tear off or away, to pull or rend off (syn.: abripio, eximo).
I. In gen. (class.): “avellere tigna trabesque,” to tear away planks and beams, Lucr. 6, 241: “avolsaque saxa Montibus,” the rocks rent from the mountains, id. 4, 141: “avolsum umeris caput,” Verg. A. 2, 558; so Ov. M. 3, 727; 2, 358: “avolsos silices a montibus altis,” Lucr. 5, 313: “avolsus radicibus oculus,” id. 3, 563: poma ex arboribus, si cruda sunt, vix avelluntur; “si matura et cocta, decidunt,” Cic. Sen. 19, 71; Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 49 fin.: “Cum ripa simul avolsos ferat Aufidus acer,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 58; 2, 8, 89: “Avellit frondes,” Ov. M. 2, 351: “summitatem frondium ejus avulsit,” Vulg. Ezech. 17, 4 al.: “Ex eā avolsa postea Therasia,” Plin. 4, 12, 23, § 70: “Euboea avolsa Boeotiae,” id. 4, 12, 21, § 63.—
II. Esp.
A. To take away by force, to tear away: “rus ab aliquo,” Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 14: “pretium alicui,” Hor. S. 1, 2, 104: “fatale sacrato avellere templo Palladium,” Verg. A. 2, 165: “fundum emptori,” Dig. 23, 7, 17; 40, 7, 3: “avellamus eum ad nos,” Vulg. Isa. 7, 6; “so of carrying off the bride,” Cat. 62, 21 Ellis.—
B. To separate from something by pulling, to part, to remove: “aliquem de matris complexu avellere atque abstrahere,” Cic. Font. 17: “ab uberibus avellere,” to wean, Vulg. Isa. 28, 9: “ut sperem posse (eum) avelli,” Ter. And. 3, 3, 21: “Non potes avelli! simul, ah, simul ibimus, inquit,” Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 81: “complexu avolsus Iuli,” Verg. A. 4, 616: “ut avellerentur castris,” Tac. A. 1, 44: se, to tear one's self away, Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 39.— And in pass. without the notion of violence, to withdraw: “Et ipse avulsus est ab eis,” Vulg. Luc. 22, 41 Tisch.—Trop.: “aliquem a tanto errore,” Cic. Off. 3, 4, 83.
