I.inf. pres. pass. OBRI for obrui, Inscr. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 341; v. in the foll. I. B. 1.), v. a. (n. Lucr. 3, 775; v. infra), to overwhelm, overthrow, strike down; to cover, cover over with any thing; also to hide in the ground, bury by heaping over (class.; cf.: opprimo, subruo).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “aliquem caestu,” Stat. Achill. 1, 191: “concidit, et totis fratrem gravis obruit armis,” id. Th. 11, 573; Verg. A. 5, 692: “confossus undique obruitur,” Curt. 8, 11: “ranae marinae dicuntur obruere sese harenā solere,” bury themselves in the sand, Cic. N. D. 2, 49, 125: “thesaurum,” to bury, id. Sen. 7, 21: “ova,” to hide in the earth, id. N. D. 2, 52, 129: “aegros veste,” to cover, Plin. 26, 3, 8, § 16: oceanum rubra tractim obruit aethra, covered, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4 (Ann. v. 418 Vahl.); so, “terram nox obruit umbris,” Lucr. 6, 864.—
B. In partic., to bury, inter a dead body (perh. only post-Aug.), Tac. A. 1, 29 fin.: “cadaver levi caespite obrutum est,” Suet. Calig. 59: cujus ossa in Vulcanali obruta sunt, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. statua, p. 290 Müll.: QVOD SE VOLVIT OBRI. Inscr. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 341.—
2. To sink in the sea, cover with water: “puppes,” Verg. A. 1, 69: “quos Obruit Auster,” overwhelmed, sunk, id. ib. 6, 336: “navem,” Dig. 9, 2, 29: “obrutus adulter aquis,” Ov. Her. 1, 6: “obruerit cum tot deus aequoris undis,” id. P. 3, 6, 29: “vultus,” id. Tr. 1, 2, 34: “Aegyptum Nilus,” Cic. N. D. 2, 52.—
C. To sow seed; cover with earth: “semina terrā,” Ov. R. Am. 173: “milium,” Col. 11, 2, 72: “lupinum,” id. 11, 2, 81: “betam,” id. 11, 3, 42.—
D. To overload, surfeit with any thing: “se vino,” Cic. Deiot. 9. —
II. Trop.
A. To overwhelm, bury, conceal, put out of sight, abolish, consign to oblivion: “ut adversā quasi perpetuā oblivione obruamus,” Cic. Fin. 1, 17, 57; cf.: “ea quae umquam vetustas obruet aut quae tanta delebit oblivio?” id. Deiot. 13, 37; and: “(sermo) nec umquam de ullo perennis fuit, et obruitur hominum interitu,” id. Rep. 6, 23, 25: “talis viri interitu sex suos obruere consulatus,” to dim, cloud, destroy the glory of six consulships, id. Tusc. 5, 19, 56.—
B. To overwhelm, overload, weigh down, oppress with any thing: “criminibus obrutus atque oppressus,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 7, § 20; so, “copiā sententiarum atque verborum,” id. Tusc. 2, 1, 3: “ambitione, et foro,” id. de Or. 1, 21, 94: “aere alieno,” id. Att. 2, 1, 11; cf. “faenore,” Liv. 6, 14; 35, 7: “magnitudine negotii,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1, § 4.—