I.“ăbĭci,” Ov. P. 2, 3, 37; “ăbĭcit,” Juv. 15, 17), ĕre, jēci, jectum, 3, v. a. ab-jacio, to cast away, to throw away, throw down.
I. Lit.: “in sepulcrum ejus abjecta gleba non est,” Varr. L. L. 5, § 23 Müll.: “scutum,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 23: “insigne regium de capite,” id. Sest. 27: “socer ad pedes abjectus,” id. ib. 34; so, “se ad pedes,” id. Phil. 2, 34, 86: “se e muro in mare,” id. Tusc. 1, 34; so, “corpus in mare,” id. Phil. 11, 2, 5: “impelluntur, feriuntur, abiciuntur, cadunt,” id. Tusc. 2, 15, 36: “se abjecit exanimatus,” he threw himself down as if lifeless, id. Sest. 37.—Absol.: “si te uret sarcina, abicito,” throw it down, Hor. Ep. 1, 13, 7.—Also with in and abl., when the place from which a thing is thrown is designated: “anulum in mari,” Cic. Fin. 5, 30, 92 Madv. N. cr.; so, ut se abiceret in herba, id. de Or. 1, 7, 28: “statuas in propatulo domi,” Nep. Hann. 9, 3: “cadaver in viā,” Suet. Ner. 48; cf.: “ubi cadaver abjeceris,” Tac. A. 1, 22.
II. Fig.
A. In gen., to cast off, throw away, give up, etc.: “ut primum tenebris abjectis inalbabat,” as soon as the day, having dispelled the darkness, was beginning to brighten, Enn. Ann. v. 219 Vahl.: nusquam ego vidi abjectas aedīs, nisi modo hasce, thrown away, i.e. sold too low, Plaut. Most. 3, 3, 3: psaltria aliquo abiciendast, must be got rid off (il faut se defaire d'elle, Dacier), Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 26: “vitam,” Cic. Att. 3, 19: “salutem pro aliquo,” id. Planc. 33: “memoriam beneficiorum,” id. Phil. 8, 11: “versum,” to declaim it carelessly, id. de Or. 3, 26 (cf. with id. ib. 3, 59: ponendus est ille ambitus, non abiciendus, the period must be brought gradually to a close, not broken off abruptly).
B. In partic.
1. To throw off, cast aside care for, remembrance of, etc., to give up, abandon: “abicimus ista,” we let that go, Cic. Att. 13, 3: “fama ingenii mihi est abicienda,” I must renounce, id. ib. 9, 16: domum Sullanam desperabam jam . . . sed tamen non abjeci, but yet I have not abandoned it, i. e. its purchase, id. Fam. 9, 15: “abjectis nugis,” nonsense apart, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 141 (cf. amoto ludo, id. S. 1, 1, 27).
2. To cast down to a lower grade, to degrade, humble, Cic. Leg. 1, 9: hic annus senatus auctoritatem abjecit, degraded or lowered the authority of the Senate, id. Att. 1, 18; so also id. Tusc. 5, 18; id. de Or. 3, 26, 104.—Hence, abjectae res, reduced circumstances (opp. florentes), Nep. Att. 8; Cic. Quint. 30; Tac. A. 4, 68.
3. Abicere se, to throw one's self away, degrade one's self, v. Cic. Tusc. 2, 23: ut enim fit, etc.—Hence, abjectus , a, um, P. a., downcast, disheartened, désponding; low, mean, abject, worthless, unprincipled.
A. Quo me miser conferam? An domum? matremne ut miseram lamentantem videam et abjectam? Gracch. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 56, 214: “plura scribere non possum, ita sum animo perculso et abjecto,” Cic. Att. 3, 2.—
B. Nihil abjectum, nihil humile cogitare, Cic. Fin. 5, 20: “contemptum atque abjectum,” id. Agr. 2, 34: “verbis nec inops nec abjectus,” id. Brut. 62, 222 al.—Comp.: “animus abjectior,” Cic. Lael. 16; Liv. 9, 6.—Sup.: “animus abjectissimus,” Quint. 11, 1, 13 al.—Adv.: abjectē .