verb transitive

attĕro

2nd PP at-tĕrere · 3rd PP attrīvi · 4th PP attrītum · conj. 3rd

(, Dietsch), (perf. inf. atteruisse, Tib. 1, 4, 48; cf. Vell. Long. p. 2234 P.)

to rub one thing against another;; to rub away; wear out

, to rub one thing against another; hence, in gen., to rub away, wear out or diminish by rubbing, to waste, wear away, weaken, impair, exhaust.

P. a.;; rubbing against; upon ••

Lit. (most freq. after the Aug. per.; in Cic. only once as P. a.; v. infra): insons Cerberus leniter atterens caudam, rubbing against or upon (sc. Herculi), * Hor. C. 2, 19, 30: asinus spinetis se scabendi causā atterens, Plin. 10, 74, 95, § 204: aures, * Plaut. Pers. 4, 9, 11 (cf. antestor): bucula surgentes atterat herbas, tramples upon, Verg. G. 4, 12: opere insuetas atteruisse manus, Tib. 1, 4, 48; so Prop. 5, 3, 24, and Plin. 2, 63, 63, § 158; so, dentes usu atteruntur, id. 7, 16, 15, § 70: attrivit sedentis pedem, Vulg. Num. 22, 25: vestem, Dig. 23, 3, 10; Col. 11, 2, 16; Cels. praef.: vestimenta, Vulg. Deut. 29, 5; ib. Isa. 51, 6.—Poet., of sand worn by the water flowing over it: attritas versabat rivus harenas, Ov. M. 2, 456.—

to destroy; waste; weaken figuratively ••

Trop., to destroy, waste, weaken, impair: postquam utrimque legiones item classes saepe fusae fugataeque et alteri alteros aliquantum adtriverant, Sall. J. 79, 4: magna pars (exercitūs) temeritate ducum adtrita est, id. ib. 85, 46: Italiae opes bello, id. ib. 5, 4; so Tac. H. 1, 10; 1, 89; 2, 56; Curt. 4, 6 fin.; cf. Sil. 2, 392 Drak.: nec publicanus atterit (Germanos), exhausts, drains, Tac. G. 29: famam atque pudorem, Sall. C. 16, 2: et vincere inglorium et atteri sordidum arbitrabatur, and to suffer injury in his dignity, Tac. Agr. 9 Rupert.: eo tempore, quo praecipue alenda ingenia atque indulgentiā quādam enutrienda sunt, asperiorum tractatu rerum atteruntur, are enfeebled, Quint. 8, prooem. 4: filii ejus atterentur egestate, Vulg. Job, 20, 10: Nec res atteritur longo sufflamine litis, Juv. 16, 50.— Hence, attrītus, a, um, P. a., rubbed off, worn off or away, wasted.

literal

ut rictum ejus (simulacri) ac mentum paulo sit attritius, * Cic. Verr. 2, 4,… in general •

In gen.: ut rictum ejus (simulacri) ac mentum paulo sit attritius, * Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43: ansa, Verg. E. 6, 17: vomer, worn bright, id. G. 1, 46; cf. Juv. 8, 16 Rupert.: caelaturae, Plin. 33, 12, 55, § 157; Petr. 109, 9.—

bruised; excoriated parts of the body as a noun •

In medicine, attritae partes or subst. attrita, ōrum, n. (sc. membra), bruised, excoriated parts of the body: medetur et attritis partibus sive oleo etc., Plin. 24, 7, 28, § 43: attritis medetur cinis muris silvatici etc., id. 30, 8, 22, § 70.—

a shameless; impudent face; a smooth face figuratively •

Trop.: attrita frons, a shameless, impudent face (lit. a smooth face, to which shame no longer clings; cf. perfrico), Juv. 13, 242 Rupert.; so, domus Israël attritā fronte, Vulg. Ezech. 3, 7.—Sup. and adv. not used.

Perseus ID: n4341 Key: attero