I.to pick or take out. *
I. Lit.: “semina pomis,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 272.—
II. Trop. (class.).
A. To pick out, choose, select, gather: “non solum ex malis eligere minima oportere, sed etiam excerpere ex ipsis, si quid inesset boni,” Cic. de Off. 3, 1, 3: “quod quisque (scriptorum) commodissime praecipere videbatur, excerpsimus,” made extracts, selections, id. Inv. 2, 2, 4; so, verba ex Originibus Catonis, Aug. ap. Suet. Aug. 86: “nihil umquam legit, quod non excerperet,” Plin. Ep. 3, 5, 10; cf. id. ib. 6, 20, 5; Sen. Ep. 33, 2; Quint. 9, 1, 24; 10, 2, 13: “ex libris qui chronici appellantur ... easque excerptiones digerere,” Gell. 17, 21, 1 et saep.: “paucos enim, qui sunt eminentissimi, excerpere in animo est,” to single out, make prominent, Quint. 10, 1, 45; 7, 1, 29.—Hence, subst.: excerptum , i, n., an extract, selection, excerpt from a book or writing: “ex Gorgiā Platonis,” Quint. 2, 15, 24: Coelianum. M. Aurel. ap. Front. Ep. ad M. Caes. 1, 9.—Plur., M. Aurel. ap. Front. Ep. ad M. Caes. 2, 5; Sen. Ep. 33, 3.—
B. To take out, strike or leave out, except, omit: “non enim, si est facilius, eo de numero quoque est excerpendum,” Cic. de Or. 2, 11, 47; cf.: “me illorum excerpam numero,” Hor. S. 1, 4, 40: “tu id, quod boni est, excerpis: dicis, quod mali est,” Ter. Phorm. 4, 4, 18.—
C. To withdraw one's self: “se consuetudini hominum,” Sen. Ep. 5: “se vulgo,” id. Brev. Vit. 18; “and simply se,” id. Ep. 18.
