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abs-tergĕo , rsi, rsum, 2, v. a. (the form
I.abstergo, gĕre rests upon spurious readings, except in eccl. Lat., as Vulg. Apoc. 21, 4), to wipe off or away, to dry by wiping.
I. Lit.: “labellum,” Plaut. As. 4, 1, 52: “sudorem,” id. Men. 1, 2, 16: “vulnera,” Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 9: lacrimas, Lucil. ap. Porphyr. ad Hor. S. 1, 2, 68: “fletum,” Cic. Phil. 14, 34: everrite aedīs, abstergete araneas, brush away, Titin. ap. Non. 192, 10.— *
B. Transf.: “remos (qs. to wipe away, i. e.),” to break, to dash to pieces, Curt. 9, 9, 16.—
II. Trop., to wipe away (any thing disagreeable, a passion, etc.), i. e. to drive away, expel, remove, banish: “ut mihi absterserunt omnem sorditudinem,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 10; “esp. freq. in Cic.: dolorem, Q. Fr. 2, 9: senectutis molestias,” Sen. 1: metum, Fam. 9, 16; “luctum, Tusc. 3, 18: suspicionem,” Amm. 14, 11.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (7):
    • New Testament, Revelation, 21.4
    • Cicero, Philippics, 14.34
    • Plautus, Asinaria, 4.1
    • Horace, Satires, 1.2.68
    • Plautus, Menaechmi, 1.2
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 5.2
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 9.9.16
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