I.to purge, cleanse, purify (class.).
I. Lit.: “dolabella quicquid emortuum est (trunci aut vitis),” Col. 4, 24, 5: “capisterio quicquid exteretur,” id. 2, 9, 1: “lepras, psoras, lichenas, lentigines,” Plin. 23, 7, 64, § 126.—Poet.: quae poterunt umquam satis expurgare (me) cicutae? i. e. to cure of poetic ecstasy, * Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 53: “vetus fermentum,” remove by cleansing, Vulg. 1 Cor. 5, 7.—
B. Trop.: expurgandus est sermo, * Cic. Brut. 74, 258.—
II. In partic., to clear from censure, to exculpate, vindicate, justify, excuse: “me expurgare tibi volo,” Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 87; id. Mil. 2, 6, 17: “sine me expurgem,” Ter. And. 5, 3, 29; id. Hec. 5, 1, 16: “non facile est expurgatu,” id. ib. 2, 3, 4: “sese parum expurgat,” fails to vindicate, Sall. J. 69, 4: “requirens objecta et expurgaturum asseverans,” Tac. A. 16, 24: “fidem consiliumque publicum,” Gell. 7, 3, 5.—Hence, P. a.: expurgātus , a, um, pure, clear; comp.: “mens,” Rufin. Orig. de Princ. 1, 1, 7.
