I.to break off something violently, to rend, tear, sever (poet.; seldom used before the Aug. per., only once in Cic., but afterw. by Verg., Ov., and the histt. often).
I. Lit.: vincla abrupit equus (transl. of the Homeric δεσμὸν ἀπορρήξας, Il. 6, 507), Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 3 (Ann. v. 509 Vahl.); so, nec Lethaea valet Theseus abrumpere caro vincula Pirithoo, * Hor. C. 4, 7, 27; cf. Verg. A. 9, 118: “abrupti nubibus ignes,” torn from, Lucr. 2, 214; cf. “with the fig. reversed, in Verg.: ingeminant abruptis nubibus ignes, A. 3, 199: abrupto sidere,” i. e. hidden by clouds, id. ib. 12, 451: “plebs velut abrupta a cetero populo,” broken off, torn from, Liv. 3, 19, 9.—
II. Trop.: “(legio Martia) se prima latrocinio Antonii abrupit,” first freed itself, Cic. Phil. 14, 12: “abrumpere vitam,” to break the thread of life, Verg. A. 8, 579; 9, 497; “so later, abrumpere fata,” Sen. Herc. Oet. 893, or, medios annos, Luc. 6, 610: “abrumpere vitam a civitate,” to leave it, in order to live elsewhere, Tac. A. 16, 28 fin.: “fas,” to destroy, violate, Verg. A. 3, 55: “medium sermonem,” to break off, interrupt, id. ib. 4, 388; cf. “abruptus: omnibus inter victoriam mortemve abruptis,” since all means of escape, except victory or death, were taken from us, Liv. 21, 44, 8.—Hence, ab-ruptus , a, um, P. a., broken off from, separated, esp. of places, inaccessible, or difficult of access.
A. Lit., of places, precipitous, steep (syn.: “praeceps, abscissus): locus in pedum mille altitudinem abruptus,” Liv. 21, 36: “(Roma) munita abruptis montibus,” Plin. 3, 5, 9, § 67; Tac. A. 2, 23: “petra undique abscissa et abrupta,” Curt. 7, 11.—Also absol.: abruptum , i, n., a steep ascent or descent; cf. praeceps: “vastos sorbet in abruptum fluctus,” she swallows down her gulf, Verg. A. 3, 422.—
B. Trop., broken, disconnected, abrupt: “Sallustiana brevitas et abruptum sermonis genus,” Quint. 4, 2, 45: “contumacia,” stubborn, Tac. A. 4, 20.— Comp., Plin. 11, 37, 51, § 138; Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 1.—Sup., Plin. Ep. 9, 39, 5.—Absol.: “per abrupta,” by rough, dangerous ways, Tac. Agr. 42 fin. (cf. supra: abrupta contumacia).—Adv.: abruptē .
2. Trop., of conduct, hastily, inconsiderately, Just. 2, 15, 4; “of discourse,” abruptly, Quint. 3, 8, 6; 4, 1, 79; “also,” simply, Macr. Somn. Scip. 1, 19.—Comp., Amm. 20, 11.
