I.to cut away, cut down, cut off (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
I. Lit.: “vepres,” Cato, R. R. 2, 4; cf.: “malleolos ad imum articulum,” Plin. 17, 21, 35, § 160: “sceptrum imo de stirpe,” Verg. A. 12, 208; “for which: laurum imā stirpe,” Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 76 (cf. II.): “ceras inanes,” empty cells, Verg. G. 4, 241: “hirsutam barbam falce,” Ov. M. 13, 766: “caput,” id. ib. 9, 71: “immedicabile vulnus Ense recidendum est,” id. ib. 1, 191: “pollicem alicui,” Quint. 8, 5, 12: “comas,” Mart. 1, 32, 4; cf. “capillos,” Plin. Ep. 7, 27 fin.: “ungues,” Plin. 10, 35, 52, § 106: “columnas,” to hew out, Hor. C. 2, 18, 4: “fustes,” id. ib. 3, 6, 40: “ancile ab omni parte recisum,” Ov. F. 3, 377: “mella,” i. e. to take out, Pall. Jun. 7, 2.— “Of persons: cuncti simul ense recisi,” cut down, Luc. 2, 194.— Poet.: “fulgorem sideribus,” to rob the stars of their brightness, Stat. Th. 12, 310: “gramina morsu,” to devour, Calp. Ecl. 2, 45.—
II. Trop. (borrowed from agriculture), to lop off, cut short, retrench, abridge, diminish: “perquam multa recidam ex orationibus Ciceronis,” Quint. 12, 10, 52; cf. id. 12, 10, 55: “inanem loquacitatem,” id. 10, 5, 22: ambitiosa ornamenta, Hor. A. P. 447: “omne quod ultra Perfectum traheretur,” id. S. 1, 10, 69: nationes partim recisas, partim repressas, * Cic. Prov. Cons. 12, 31: “mercedes scaenicorum,” Suet. Tib. 34 init.: “armaturas mirmillonum,” to lessen, id. Calig. 55: “ornandi potestatem,” Quint. 2, 16, 4: “facultatem aliter acquirendi,” id. 12, 7, 10: “impedimenta,” to diminish, obviate, Front. Strat. 4, 1, 7; cf. “occupationes,” Sen. Q. N. 3 praef.: “culpam supplicio,” Hor. C. 3, 24, 34; cf.: “cum magnis parva mineris Falce recisurum simili te,” id. S. 1, 3, 123: vitia a stirpe, Claud. ap. Ruf. 1, 56; and: “aliquid priscum ad morem,” i. e. to reduce within the limits of ancient manners, Tac. A. 3, 53.—Hence, rĕcīsus , a, um, P.a., shortened, abridged; short, brief: “opus,” Vell. 2, 89, 1: “ea recisa in unum librum coartasse,” Plin. Ep. 1, 20, 8.—Comp.: “tempus recisius (opp. longius),” Dig. 47, 21, 2.— Sup. and adv. do not occur.
