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dē-scisco , īvi or ĭi, ītum, 3, v. n., orig. a publicist's t. t.
I.to free one's self from a connection with any one, to withdraw, leave, revolt from, = sciscendo deficere; and with an indication of the terminus, to desert to, go over to any one (class. prose).
I. Prop.: “multae longinquiores civitates ab Afranio desciscunt,” Caes. B. C. 1, 60 fin.; so, “ab aliquo,” id. ib. 2, 32, 2; Cic. Phil. 11, 9, 21; Liv. 6, 36; Nep. Alc. 5, 1; id. Dat. 5, 5; Just. 5, 1 fin. et saep.: “ad aliquem (opp. a nobis deficere),” Liv. 31, 7; cf.: “Praeneste ab Latinis ad Romanos descivit,” id. 2, 19; “and simply: ad aliquem,” id. 26, 21; Front. Strat. 4, 3, 14 al.; cf. pass. impers.: “quibus invitis descitum ad Samnites erat,” Liv. 9, 16; and Flor. 3, 5, 6.—Absol.: “cum Fidenae aperte descissent,” Liv. 1, 27; 21, 19; Tac. H. 1, 31; Suet. Caes. 68; Nep. Tim. 3, 1; id. Ham. 2, 2; Front. Strat. 1, 8, 6: Stat. Th. 2, 311 al.—
II. Transf. beyond the political sphere, to depart, deviate, withdraw from a person or thing; to fall off from, be unfaithful to: “a nobis desciscere quaeres?” Lucr. 1, 104: “a se ipse,” Cic. Att. 2, 4, 2: “si Cicero a Demosthene paulum in hac parte descivit,” Quint. 9, 4, 146: “cur Zeno ab hac antiqua institutione desciverit,” Cic. Fin. 4, 8; so, “a pristina causa,” id. Fam. 1, 9, 17 Orell. N. cr.: “a veritate,” id. Ac. 2, 15: “a natura,” id. Tusc. 3, 2: “a disciplina,” Vell. 2, 81: “a virtute,” id. 2, 1: “a consuetudine parentum,” Plin. Ep. 3, 20, 4 et saep.: “a vita,” to separate, sever one's self, Cic. Fin. 3, 18, 61 (opp. manere in vita).—Pass. impers.: “praecipiti cursu a virtute descitum, ad vitia transcursum,” Vell. 2, 1.—Stating the terminus, to fall off to, decline to; to degenerate into: “ab excitata fortuna ad inclinatam et prope jacentem,” Cic. Fam. 2, 16; cf.: “ad saevitiam, ad cupiditatem,” Suet. Dom. 10: in regem (i. e. to degenerate, be transformed), Flor. 4, 3: “in monstrum,” id. 4, 11.—
B. Of subjects not personal: “quis ignorat et eloquentiam et ceteras artes descivisse ab ista vetere gloria,” Tac. Or. 28: “(vitis) gracili arvo non desciscit,” does not degenerate, Col. 3, 2, 13: “semina,” id. 3, 10, 18.
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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hide References (28 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (28):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 1.9.17
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 2.16
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 2.4.2
    • Cicero, Philippics, 11.9.21
    • Suetonius, Domitianus, 10
    • Suetonius, Divus Julius, 68
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.60
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 1.31
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 1.104
    • Cornelius Nepos, Alcibiades, 5.1
    • Cornelius Nepos, Datames, 5.5
    • Cornelius Nepos, Hamilcar, 2.2
    • Cornelius Nepos, Timoleon, 3.1
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 3.20.4
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 9, 16
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 19
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 27
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 26, 21
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 6, 36
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 31, 7
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 19
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 3.18
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 4.8
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 3.2
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 4.146
    • Statius, Thebias, 2
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 3.10.18
    • Columella, Res Rustica, 3.2.13
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