I. Lit., to drive before one's self, to drive, push, or urge forward, to drive forth; to hurl, propel, hurl or cast down, to overthrow (class.; “syn.: proturbo, protrudo): sacerdotem anum praecipem propulit,” Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 8: “oves potum,” Varr. R. R. 2, 2: “in pabulum,” id. ib. 2, 2: “aëra prae se,” Lucr. 4, 286: “propellere ac submovere hostes,” Caes. B. G. 4, 25: “hostem a castris,” Liv. 7, 24: “nubes,” Gell. 2, 22, 24: “in profundum e scopulo corpora,” Ov. M. 8, 593: “hastam,” Sil. 16, 571: “urbem,” to overthrow, Val. Fl. 6, 383: “muros Oechaliae,” to throw down, Sen. Herc. Oet. 162; cf.: “orationem propellere dialecticorum remis,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 5, 9: “si paulo largius L. Caecilium pietas et fraternus amor propulisset,” id. Sull. 23, 64.—
II. Trop.
B. To drive on, impel, incite, urge (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “corpus,” Lucr. 3, 160: “terrore carceris ad voluntariam mortem,” Tac. A. 11, 2: “agmina voce,” Sil. 7, 530.—
C. To drive away, to keep or ward off: “periculum vitae ab aliquo,” Liv. 40, 11 fin.: “famem,” Hor. S. 1, 2, 6: “injurias hominum ac ferarum,” Col. 7, 12, 2.