I.perf. velli, Calp. Ecl. 4, 155; Prisc. 10, 6, 36, p. 897 P.; Diom. 1, p. 369 ib.; ante-class. form of sup. volsum; v. Neue, Formenl. 2, p. 576), 3, v. a. prob. akin to ἕλ-κω.
I. Prop.
A. Of animals, to pluck or pull, i. e. to deprive of the hair, feathers, etc.: “oves,” Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 9; Plin. 8, 48, 73, § 190: “anseres,” id. 10, 22, 27, § 53.—
B. Of things.
1. In gen., to pluck, pull, or tear out, away, or up; in simple constr.: “plumas anserum,” Col. 8, 13, 3: “caudae pilos equinae,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 45: “barbam,” id. S. 1, 3, 133: “tot spicula,” Verg. A. 10, 889: “comam,” Mart. 5, 37, 19: “cuneum vellito, statimque surculos in ea foramina immittito,” Col. 5, 11, 5; cf. id. Arb. 26, 4: signa, to take up, i. e. march, Verg. A. 11, 19; cf.: “ut vellerent signa et Romam proficiscerentur,” Liv. 3, 50, 11: “mors viscera vulsit,” Luc. 6, 546.—With ab and abl.: “postes a cardine vellit,” Verg. A. 2, 480: “albos a stirpe capillos,” Prop. 3 (4), 25, 13. “asparagum ab radice,” Plin. 19, 8, 42, § 149.—With abl. alone: “aut castris audebit vellere signa,” Verg. G. 4, 108: “genae florem primaevo corpore vulsit,” Luc. 6, 562: “adfixam oculo sagittam,” id. 6, 218: “vulsis pectore telis,” id. 6, 232; cf.: “unguibus et raras vellentem dentibus herbas,” Ov. M. 8,800.—With de and abl.: “hastam ... de cespite vellit,” Verg. A. 11, 566: “herbas de caespite,” Luc. 4, 414.—
2. Esp.
a. To pluck, pull, or tear down or away: “cum pars vellerent vallum, atque in fossas proruerent,” Liv. 9, 14, 9; 10, 2, 5: “munimenta,” id. 2, 25, 3.—
c. To pull, twitch, etc.: “aurem,” Verg. E. 6, 4; cf. id. Cop. 38; Calp. Ecl. 4, 155; Amm. 22, 3, 12: “vellere coepi Et prensare manu lentissima bracchia,” Hor. S. 1, 9, 63: “latus digitis,” Ov. A. A. 1, 606.—
d. To be plucked or pulled, i. e. to have the hair pulled out by the roots: “circa corporis curam morosior, ut non solum tonderetur diligenter ac raderetur, sed velleretur etiam,” Suet. Caes. 45.—
II. Trop., to tear, torment: “sed mea secreto velluntur pectora morsu,” Stat. S. 5, 2, 3.—Hence, P. a.: vulsus (volsus ), a, um.
A. Lit., shorn, plucked, smooth, beardless, hairless: “istum gallum Glabriorem reddes mihi quam volsus ludiust,” Plaut. Aul. 2, 9, 6: “vulsi levatique et inustas comas acu comentes,” Quint. 2, 5, 12: “corpus vulsum,” id. 5, 9, 14: “eadem (corpora) si quis vulsa atque fucata muliebriter comat,” id. 8, prooem. 19: “nepos,” Prop. 4 (5), 8, 23.—
2. Trop., effeminate: “mens,” Mart. 2, 36, 6.—
B. Suffering convulsions, spasmodic, Plin. 21, 19, 74, § 126; 23, 1, 16, § 25.
