I.to take away entirely, to annihilate, extinguish, destroy; to cut off, hinder, prevent.
I. In gen. (class.; “syn.: perdo, deleo): penitus materiem omnem,” Lucr. 1, 226: “sensu perempto,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 37, 89: luna subito perempta est, was taken away, i. e. vanished, disappeared, id. poët. Div. 1, 11, 18: “divum simulacra peremit fulminis ardor,” id. ib. 1, 12, 19: “Troja perempta,” destroyed, ruined, Verg. A. 5, 787: “corpus macie,” Liv. 2, 23; cf. id. 38, 21: ne quid consul auspici peremat, should hinder, prevent, Cato ap. Fest. p. 217 Müll.: “reditum,” Cic. Planc. 42, 101: “nisi aliqui casus consilium ejus peremisset,” id. Off. 3, 7, 33: “si causam publicam mea mors peremisset,” id. Sest. 22, 49; id. Fragm. ap. Non. 450, 5: “perimit urbem incendio,” Vulg. Jos. 11, 11.—Absol.: “sin autem (supremus ille dies) perimit ac delet omnino, quid melius, quam? etc.,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 49, 117.—
II. In partic., to kill, slay (poet. and in post-Aug. prose; cf. “trucido): perempta et interempta pro interfectis poni solet a poëtis,” Fest. p. 217 Müll.; Lucr. 3, 886: “crudeli morte peremptus,” Verg. A. 6, 163: “aliquem caede,” id. ib. 9, 453: “sorte,” id. ib. 11, 110: hunc, ubi tam teneros volucres matremque peremit (trans. from Homer), Cic. poët. Div. 2, 30, 64; Ov. M. 8, 395: “conceptum abortu,” Plin. 3, 44, 69, § 172: “caedes fratrum indigne peremptorum,” Just. 7, 6.