tear asunder Copy link Outline 1. lănio, 12. dīlănio, 1 (stronger than preced.3. lăcĕro, 1 (to mangle4. dīlăcĕro, 1 (perh. not in Cic.; for in N. D. 1, 11, 27, lacerari is now read)5. excarnĭfico, 1 (no pf.6. dīvello, velli, vulsum, 3 (to pull in pieces or asunder)7. convello, velli, vulsum, 3 (to t. wholly to pieces)8. discindo, scĭdi, scissum, 39. conscindo, scĭdi, scissum, 3 (to t. wholly to pieces10. discerpo, psi, ptum, 3 (to pluck in pieces)11. concerpo, psi, ptum, 3 (rare)12. dīrĭpio, rĭpui, reptum, 3 (to snatch asunder)13. distrăho, xi, ctum, 3 (to drag asunder)14. diffĕro, distŭli, dīlātum, 315. lancĭno, 1 (rare, and appy. late • tear asunder, or to pieces: 1. lănio, 1: to t. a man to pieces, l. hominem, Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 3: bodies torn to pieces by wild beasts, corpora a feris laniata, id. Tusc. 1, 45, 108: to t. a garment to tatters, l. vestem, Ov. M. 5, 398: to t. the universe to bits, l. mundum, id. ib. 1, 60: to t. the hair, l. comas, id. M. 4, 139. Fig.: vices t. the heart to pieces, vitia cor laniant, Sen. Ep. 51, ad fin. 2. dīlănio, 1 (stronger than preced.: rare): to leave the corpse for dogs to t., cadaver canibus dilaniandum relinquere, Cic. Mil. 13, 33: to t. the hair, d. comas, Ov. Am. 3, 9, 52. 3. lăcĕro, 1 (to mangle: perh. not in Cic. in the lit. sense): to t. the body, l. corpus, Lucr. 3, 878: to t. one's face, hair, dress, l. ora, comam, vestem, Ov. M. 11, 726: Fig.: Cic. Quint. 15, 50; Ov. Pont. 4, 16., 1. 4. dīlăcĕro, 1 (perh. not in Cic.; for in N. D. 1, 11, 27, lacerari is now read): the dogs t. their master to bits, canes d. dominum, Ov. M. 3, 250: to t. to pieces with engines of torture, d. tormentis, Tac. A. 15, 57: Fig.: to t. the republic to pieces, d. rempublicam, Sall. Jug. 41, ad med. 5. excarnĭfico, 1 (no pf.: to t. the flesh to pieces): Cic. N. D. 3, 33, 82. 6. dīvello, velli, vulsum, 3 (to pull in pieces or asunder): to t. a she-lamb to pieces with the teeth, d. mordicus agnam, Hor. S. 1, 8, 27: to t. the body to bits, d. corpus, Virg. Aen. 4, 600: to t. one's cloak to bits with the thornbushes, d. paenulam sentibus, Suet. Ner. 48, ad fin.: to t. asunder a wound with one's own hand, d. vulnus suis manibus, Auct. B. Afr. 88: to t. children asunder from the embraces of their parents, d. liberos a parentum complexu, Sall. Cat. 51. Fig.: to t. asunder things which nature has joined, res a natura copulatas d., Cic. Off. 3, 18, 75: to cement a thing which has been broken and torn asunder, rem dissolutam divulsamque d., id. de Or. 1, 42, 188: I am distracted and torn to pieces by sorrow, distineor et d. dolore, id. Planc. 33, 79. 7. convello, velli, vulsum, 3 (to t. wholly to pieces): to t. the food to pieces with greedy tooth, c. dapes avido dente, Ov. M. 11, 123: the centurions torn to pieces and mangled, convulsi laniatique centuriones, Tac. A. 1, 32. Fig.: to t. one's heart to pieces with words, verbis c. pectus, Ov. H. 17, 111. 8. discindo, scĭdi, scissum, 3: to t. one's tunic asunder, d. tunicam, Cic. de Or. 2, 47, 195: to t. any one to pieces with scourges, d. aliquem flagellis, Suet. Calig. 33: limbs torn asunder by the teeth, discissi dentibus artus, Virg. G. 3, 514. Fig.: to t. asunder the ties of friendship, d. amicitias, Cic. Am. 21, 76. 9. conscindo, scĭdi, scissum, 3 (to t. wholly to pieces: rare): to t. a letter to pieces, c. epistolam, Cic. Fam. 7, 18, 4: to t. a garment to bits, c. vestem, Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 4. 10. discerpo, psi, ptum, 3 (to pluck in pieces): a young man torn to pieces, discerptus juvenis, Virg. G. 4, 522: to t. any one to pieces with the hands, d. aliquem manibus, Liv. 1, 16: Cic. Fragm.: the dogs tore the half-burnt corpse to pieces, semiustum cadaver discerpsere canes, Suet. Dom. 15. Fig.: subjects which are pulled and as it were torn in pieces, divulsa et quasi discerpta, Cic. de Or. 3, 6, 24. 11. concerpo, psi, ptum, 3 (rare): to t. a letter to pieces, c. epistolam, Cic. Att. 10, 12, ad med.: small linen napkins torn into little bits, linteola concerpta, Plin. 31, 8, 44. 12. dīrĭpio, rĭpui, reptum, 3 (to snatch asunder): horses tore Hippolytus to pieces, diripuere Hippolytum equi, Ov. A. A. 1, 338: to t. asunder the limbs with their hands, d. membra manibus, id. M. 3, 731: winds t. up the ocean, venti d. fretum, Stat. Theb. 5, 367. Fig.: to t. one's fatherland to pieces, d. patriam, Cic. Att. 8, 2, ad med. 13. distrăho, xi, ctum, 3 (to drag asunder): to t. the body asunder in all directions, d. corpus passim, Liv. 1, 28, ad fin.: it can neither be broken through nor torn asunder, neque perrumpi neque distrahi potest, Caes. B. G. 7, 23, extr. Join: divellere ac d., Cic. Sull. 20, 59. Fig.: whom death has snatched or exile torn from us, quos aut mors eripuit nobis aut distraxit fuga, id. Fam. 4, 13, 2. 14. diffĕro, distŭli, dīlātum, 3: wolves will t. their limbs in pieces, membra different lupi, Hor. Epod. 5, 99: Virg. Aen. 8, 643. Fig.: I am utterly torn to pieces, differor, distrahor, diripior, Pl. Cist. 2, 1, 5. 15. lancĭno, 1 (rare, and appy. late: the part. dilancinata occurs in Amm. 22, 15, 19): to t. any one to bits, l. aliquem, Sen. Ira 1, 2, 2: to t. by biting, l. morsu, Plin. 9, 6, 5. Phr.: to be torn to pieces by dogs, laniatu canum interire, Tac. A. 15, 44: a garment torn to bits, vestis lacera, id. H. 3, 10: v. torn: horses tore him to pieces, equi in diversum iter concitati lacerum corpus discerpsere, after Liv. 1, 28, ad fin.: the cough t.s the sick swine to pieces, quatit aegros tussis anhela sues, Virg. G. 3, 496.