I.v. a., to grind, bruise, pound, to crumble, separate into small pieces.
I. Prop. (so freq. in medic. lang.): “medium scillae cum aquā ad mellis crassitudinem,” Varr. R. R. 2, 7, 8: “cornua cervi,” Ov. Med. Fac. 60: “horrendis infamia pabula sucis,” id. M. 14, 44: “radicem aridam in pulverem,” Plin. 26, 11, 70, § 113: “fracta, contrita,” Lucr. 4, 697.—Far more freq. and class. in prose and poetry,
II. Transf., to diminish by rubbing, to waste, destroy (cf.: conficio, consumo, etc.), to rub off, wear out.
A. Of material objects: “latera tua,” Plaut. As. 2, 4, 13: “boves et vires agricolarum (followed by conficere),” Lucr. 2, 1161; cf.: “conteritur ferrum, silices tenuantur ab usu,” Ov. A. A. 3, 91: superbiter contemptim conterit legiones, Naev. ap. Non. p. 516, 1; “humorously imitated: ne nos tam contemptim conteras,” treat contemptuously, Plaut. Poen. 3, 1, 34; and: “conteris Tu tuā me oratione, mulier,” you wear me out, id. Cist. 2, 3, 65 (cf. B. 1. b. infra): “corpora ipsa ac manus silvis ac paludibus emuniendis inter verbera ac contumelias conterunt,” Tac. Agr. 31: “heri in tergo meo Tris facile corios contrivisti bubulos,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 11: “Viam Sacram,” to tread upon frequently, Prop. 2 (3), 23, 15. Παιδείαν Κύρου legendo, i. e. to wear out with reading, Cic. Fam. 9, 25, 1: “supellectilem pluribus et diversis officiis,” to wear out by use, Quint. 2, 4, 29.—In mal. part.: “aliquas indigno quaestu, i. e. prostituere,” Plaut. Rud. 3, 4, 44; cf. “tero.—Prov.: is vel Herculi conterere quaestum possiet,” squander the greatest possible fortune, Plaut. Most. 4, 2, 68 Lorenz ad loc.—
B. Of immaterial objects.
1. Most freq. (like the simple verb) of time, to waste, consume, spend, pass, employ, in a good and bad sense (cf. Sall. C. 4, 1 Kritz); constr. with in and abl. or the abl. only, with dum, or absol.
(α).
With in: “aetatem in pistrino,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 6, 11: “vitam atque aetatem meam in quaerendo,” Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 15: “aetatem in litibus,” Cic. Leg. 1, 20, 53: “omne otiosum tempus in studiis,” id. Lael. 27, 104: “diem in eā arte,” Prop. 2, 1, 46.—
(β).
With abl.: “totum hunc diem cursando atque ambulando,” Ter. Hec. 5, 3, 17: “majorem aevi partem somno,” Lucr. 3, 1047: “tempora spectaculis, etc.,” Quint. 1, 12, 18: “diei brevitatem conviviis, longitudinem noctis stupris et flagitiis,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 10, § 26: “bonum otium socordiā atque desidiā,” Sall. C. 4, 1.—*
b. Transf. to the person: “se, ut Plato, in musicis, geometriā, etc.,” Cic. Fin. 1, 21, 72; cf. “in medial form: cum in causis et in negotiis et in foro conteramur,” id. de Or. 1, 58, 249; id. Caecin. 5, 14.—
2. In gen.: “operam,” Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 54; cf.: “operam frustra,” Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 31: “quae sunt horum temporum,” to exhaust, Cic. Att. 9, 4, 1.—
b. Trop.: “ejus omnis gravissimas injurias quasi voluntariā oblivione,” to obliterate from the memory, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 20: quam (dignitatem virtutis) reliquā ex collatione, facile est conterere atque contemnere, to tread under foot by comparison (opp. in caelum efferre), id. Tusc. 5, 30, 85.—Hence, contrītus , a, um, P. a., worn out, trite, common (mostly in Cic.): “proverbium vetustate,” Cic. Fin. 2, 16, 52: “praecepta (connected with communia),” id. de Or. 1, 31, 138: “contritum et contemptum praemium,” id. Sest. 40, 86.
