I.part. fut. secaturus, Col. 5, 9, 2), 1, v. a. root sak-, to cut; whence securis, sĕcula, serra (secra), segmen, sexus, saxum, etc.; cf. sīca, and Gr. κείω, κεάζω, σχίζω, to cut, cut off, cut up (class.; syn.: caedo, scindo).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “leges duodecim tabularum, si plures forent, quibus rens esset judicatus, secare, si vellent, atque partiri corpus addicti sibi hominis permiserunt,” Gell. 20, 1, 48 sq.; cf.: “et judicatos in partes secari a creditoribus leges erant,” Tert. Apol. 4: “cape cultrum, seca Digitum vel aurem,” Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 38 sq.: “omne animal secari ac dividi potest, nullum est eorum individuum,” Cic. N. D. 3, 12, 29: pabulum secari non posse, be cut, mown, * Caes. B. G. 7, 14; so, “sectae herbae,” Hor. S. 2, 4, 67: “gallinam,” to cut to pieces, Juv. 5, 124: “placenta,” Mart. 3, 77, 3: “alicui collum gladio suā dexterā,” Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 3, 10: “palatum,” to divide, Cels. 8, 1: “tergora in frusta,” Verg. A. 1, 212: dona auro gravia sectoque elephanto, i. e. of carved, wrought ivory (an imitation of the Homeric πριστὸς ἐλέφας, Od. 18, 196), Verg. A. 3, 464: “marmora,” Hor. C. 2, 18, 17: sectis nitebat marmoribus, Luc. 10, 114; so absol.: “nec ideo ferrum secandi vim non perdidit,” Sen. Ben. 5, 5, 1: “prave sectus unguis,” Hor. Ep. 1, 104: “secti lapides,” Vulg. Exod. 20, 25. —
B. In partic.
1. Med. t. t., to cut surgically; to operate on; to cut off or out, amputate, excise, etc.: “in corpore si quid ejusmodi est, quod reliquo corpori noceat, id uri secarique patimur,” Cic. Phil. 8, 5, 15; cf.: “saevitia secandi,” Plin. 29, 1, 6, § 13; so, “membra,” id. 26, 11, 69, § 112: “vomicam,” Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 13: “varices Mario,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 35 (for which, exciditur, Cels. 7, 31); cf. of the same: C. Marius cum secaretur, ut supra dixi, principio vetuit se alligari; “nec quisquam ante Marium solutus dicitur esse sectus,” was cut, operated upon, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 53: “servum,” Just. Inst. 4, 3, 6.—
2. To cut, castrate (very rare): “puer avari sectus arte mangonis,” Mart. 9, 7, 4; so, “sectus Gallus (corresp. to eviratus),” id. 5, 41, 3.—
C. Transf. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
1. To scratch, tear, wound, hurt, injure (cf. caedo, II.): “ambo (postes) ab infimo tarmes secat,” the worms are gnawing them, they are wormeaten, Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 140: “luctantis acuto ne secer ungui,” lest I should be torn, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 47; cf.: “rigido sectas invenit ungue genas,” Ov. F. 6, 148: “teneras plantas tibi (glacies),” Verg. E. 10, 49: “corpora vepres,” id. G. 3, 444: “crura (sentes),” Ov. M. 1, 509: “pete ferro Corpus et intorto verbere terga seca,” cut, lacerate, Tib. 1, 9, 22; so, “sectus flagellis,” Hor. Epod. 4, 11: “loris,” Mart. 10, 5, 14 al.: “si quem podagra secat,” gnaws, torments, Cat. 71, 2; “imitated by Martial: podagra cheragraque secatur Gaius,” Mart. 9, 92, 9.—
2. Like the Gr. τέμνειν, and our to cut, i. e.,
a. To divide, cleave, separate (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): “quos (populos) secans interluit Allia,” Verg. A. 7, 717: “medios Aethiopas (Nilus),” Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 53: “medios agros (Tiberis),” Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 12: “medium agmen (Turnus),” Verg. A. 10, 440: “agrum (limes),” Plin. 18, 34, 77, § 331: “caelum (zonae),” Ov. M. 1, 46: “sectus orbis,” Hor. C. 3, 27, 75; cf.: “in longas orbem qui secuere vias,” Ov. Am. 2, 16, 16.—
b. With the idea of motion, to cut through, i. e. to run, sail, fly, swim, go, etc., through: “delphinum similes, qui per maria umida nando Carpathium Libycumque secant,” cut through, cleave, Verg. A.5, 595: “aequor,” id. ib. 5, 218: “pontum,” id. ib. 9, 103: “aequor Puppe,” Ov. M. 11, 479: “fretum puppe,” id. ib. 7, 1; cf.: “vada nota (amnis),” id. ib. 1, 370: “ales avis ... geminis secat aëra pennis,” Cic. Arat. 48: “aethera pennis (avis),” Verg. G. 1, 406; 1, 409: “auras (cornus),” id. A. 12, 268: “ventos (Cyllenia proles),” ib. ib. 4, 257: “sub nubibus arcum (Iris),” id. ib. 9, 15 et saep.— Secare viam (vias), the Gr. τέμνειν ὁδόν, to take one's way, to travel a road: “ille viam secat ad naves,” Verg. A. 6, 899: “hinc velut diversae secari coeperunt viae,” Quint. 3, 1, 14.—
II. Trop. (acc. to I. C. 1. and 2.). *
A. To cut up, lash in speaking, i.e. to censure, satirize: “secuit Lucilius Urbem,” Pers. 1, 114.—
B. To divide (not freq. till after the Aug. per.): “cum causas in plura genera secuerunt,” Cic. de Or. 2, 27, 117: “haec in plures partes,” Quint. 8, 6, 13; cf.: “scrupulose in partes sectā divisionis diligentiā,” id. 4, 5, 6: “quae natura singularia sunt secant (corresp. to divido),” id. 4, 5, 25: “sectae ad tenuitatem suam vires (just before: distinguendo. dividendo),” id. 12, 2, 13.—Hence, in Hor., like dirimo (II.), of disputes, to cut off, i.e. to decide them: “quo multae magnaeque secantur judice lites,” Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 42: magnas res, to cure (as it were, by a light operation), id. S. 1, 10, 15.—And once in Verg.: secare spem (the figure borrowed from the phrases secare mare, auras, viam): quae cuique est fortuna hodie, quam quisque secat spem, whatever hope each follows, i. e. indulges in, entertains, Verg. A. 10, 107 (secat, sequitur, tenet, habet; “ut: Ille viam secat ad naves,” id. ib. 6, 899: unde et sectas dicimus, habitus animorum et instituta philosophiae circa disciplinam, Serv.).