I.v. a., to take off, take away a little from any thing; of food, to taste (class.).
I. Lit.: “parvam delibet ab aequore partem,” Lucr. 6, 622: “aliquid membrorum,” Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 16: “truncum,” Col. 2, 2, 26: “paululum carnis,” Petr. 136, 1; cf. cenas (opp. edere), Favor. ap. Gell. 15, 8 fin.—
II. Trop.
A. To take, enjoy, pluck, gather: flos delibatus populi Suadaeque medulla, the picked flower of the people, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 15, 58: “ut omni ex genere orationem aucuper et omnes undique flosculos carpam atque delibem,” cull, Cic. Sest. 56: “ex universa mente divina delibatos animos habere,” id. de Sen. 21, 78: “novum honorem,” to taste, enjoy, Liv. 5, 12; cf.: “honores parcissime,” Plin. Pan. 54, 3: oscula, Verg. A. 12, 434; Phaedr. 4, 24, 8: “artes,” Ov. F. 1, 169: “omnia narratione,” to touch upon, Quint. 4, 2, 55; cf. Plin. Pan. 38; Suet. Aug. 94: delibor, I am ripe for plucking, i. e. about to die, Vulg. 2 Tim. 4, 6. —
B. To take away, detract from, diminish: “neque úlla Res animi pacem delibat,” Lucr. 3, 24: “de laude jejuni hominis delibare quicquam,” Cic. Fam. 10, 21, 2: “aliquid de honestate,” id. Inv. 2, 58, 174: “de gloria sua,” id. ib. 2, 39, 115: “de virginitatis integritate,” Flor. 2, 6, 40; cf.: “castitatem virginis,” Val. Max. 9, 1, 2 ext.: “pudicitiam,” Suet. Aug. 68: “nec vitam ducendo demimus hilum Tempore de mortis nec delibare valemus,” Lucr. 3, 1088 al.—Poet., transf.: “Delibata deum per te tibi numina sancta Saepe oberunt,” disparaged, Lucr. 6, 70; cf.: “ille (Gracchus) nulla voce delibans insitam virtutem concidit tacitus,” Auct. Her. 4, 55, 68.
