carpo, psi, ptum, 3cf.: rapio, ἁρπάζω, καρπος; Engl. grab, grip, grasp.
* Lit., of plants, flowers, fruits, etc., to pick, pluck, pluck off, cull, crop, gather (class.; in prose and poetry, esp. in the latter very freq.; syn. decerpere).
* In gen.: (flos) tenui carptus ungui,Cat. 62, 43; Hor. C. 3, 27, 44; Ov. M. 9, 342: ab arbore flores,id. ib. 9, 380; cf. infra, II.: rosam, poma,Verg. G. 4, 134: violas et papavera,id. E. 2, 47: violas, lilia,Ov. M. 5, 392: frondes uncis manibus,id. G. 2, 366: plenis pomaria ramis,Ov. H. 4, 29: vindemiam de palmite,Verg. G. 2, 90: fructus,id. ib. 2, 501: frumenta manu,id. ib. 3, 176.
* Trop.
* Of animals, to take something as nourishment (cf. Burm. ad Phaedr. 1, 28, 4); first, of nourishment from plants, to crop, pluck off, browse, graze on, etc. (syn. depascere); also of flesh, to eat, devour (rare): alia (animalia) sugunt, alia carpunt, alia vorant, alia mandunt,Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 122: carpunt gramen equi,Verg. A. 9, 353; id. G. 2, 201; Ov. M. 1, 299: herbam,Verg. G. 3, 296; 3, 465; Ov. M. 13, 927: pabula,id. ib. 4, 217; id. F. 4, 750: alimenta,id. M. 15, 478: apes carpunt ex oleā arbore ceram, e fico mel, etc.,gather,Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 24 sq.; cf.: apis carpens thyma,Hor. C. 4, 2, 29.—Poet.: Invidia (personif. envy) summa cacumina carpit,Ov. M. 2, 792: nec carpsere jecur volucres,id. ib. 10, 43; cf. Phaedr. 1, 28, 4.—Sometimes transf., of men: prandium,Ter. Ad. 4, 2, 52: carpe cibos digitis,Ov. A. A. 3, 755: pisces, pulles, Mart. 3, 13, 1.—Also, to carve; hence the pun in Petr. 36 fin.
* Poet., of other things, to tear off, tear away: summas carpens media inter cornua saetas,Verg. A. 6, 245.—Of wool, to pluck; hence, poet., to spin: vellera,Verg. G. 4, 335: pensa,id. ib. 1, 390; Prop. 3 (4), 6, 16; Hor. C. 3, 27, 64: lana carpta,carded,Cels. 6, 6, 1 (hence, facete: stolidum pecus, to pluck, i. e. to fleece rich lovers, Prop. 2 (3), 16, 8; Ov. A. A. 1, 420): ex collo furtim coronas,to pull off,Hor. S. 2, 3, 256: crinem genasque,to tear, rend, lacerate,Val. Fl. 8, 7; so acc. to Servius's inaccurate account, in a fragment of the Twelve Tables: mulier faciem ne carpito,Serv. ad Verg. A. 12, 606 (instead of the real words: MVLIERES. GENAS. NE. RADVNTO.; cf. Dirks. Fragm. XII. Tab. p. 668): artus in parva frusta,Sen. Thyest. 1061.
* (Acc. to I. A.) To pluck, snatch, etc.: ut omni ex genere orationem aucuper, et omnes undique flosculos carpam atque delibem,Cic. Sest. 56, 119; id. de Or. 1, 42, 191: atque in legendo carpsi exinde quaedam,Gell. 9, 4, 5: oscula, to pluck, as it were, from the lips, to snatch, Prop. 1, 20, 27; Ov. H. 11, 117 Loers. N. cr.; id. M. 4, 358; Phaedr. 3, 8, 12 al.: basia,Mart. 5, 46, 1: gaudia,Ov. A. A. 3, 661: dulcia,Pers. 5, 151: regni commoda carpe mei,Ov. F. 3, 622: fugitivaque gaudia carpe,and snatch pleasures as they fly,Mart. 7, 47, 11: delicias,Prop. 2 (3), 34, 74.
* Esp.
* (Acc. to I. B. 1.) In a good sense, to enjoy, use, make use of (mostly poet.; syn.: fruor, capio): breve ver et primos carpere flores,Ov. M. 10, 85 (cf.: flore aetatis frui,Liv. 21, 3, 4): illa mihi sedes, illic mea carpitur aetas,spent, lived, passed,Cat. 68, 35: diem,Hor. C. 1, 11, 8: honores virtutis,Val. Fl. 1, 177: auras vitales,Verg. A. 1, 388; cf. Sil. 3, 712: sub dio somnos,Verg. G. 3, 435: quietem,id. A. 7, 414: soporem,id. ib. 4, 522: noctes securas,Val. Fl. 5, 48; a poet. circumlocution for vivere, degere, etc.
* In a bad sense.
* To separate a whole into single parts, to cut to pieces, divide (syn.: dividere, distribuere): neque semper utendum est perpetuitate, sed saepe carpenda membris minutioribus oratio est, Cic. de Or. 3, 49, 190: in multas parvasque partes carpere exercitum,Liv. 26, 38, 2: summam unius belli in multa proelia parvaque,id. 3, 61, 13: Erymanthus... ab accolis rigantibus carpitur,is drawn off into canals,Curt. 8, 9, 410. —With a reference to the meaning
* To rob of strength, to weaken, enfeeble, wear away, consume; or poet., with the idea extended (cf. absumo), to consume completely, to destroy: vires,Verg. G. 3, 215; Liv. 9, 27, 6: quid si carpere singula (jura) et extorquere... patiemini,id. 34, 3, 2; esp. of in ward care, anxiety, longing, etc.: at regina, gravi jamdudum saucia curā, Volnus alit venis et caeco carpitur igni,Verg. A. 4, 2; Ov. M. 3, 490; 10, 370: solane perpetua maerens carpere juventā?Verg. A. 4, 32: curā carpitur ista mei,Ov. A. A. 3, 680: aegra assiduo mens carpitur aestu,Val. Fl. 3, 305; Lucr. 9, 744; Sil. 15, 1: invidia carpit et carpitur unā,Ov. M. 2, 781; cf. Prop. 3 (4), 5, 3. non ego Tot tuos patiar labores carpere lividas Obliviones,to wear away,Hor. C. 4, 9, 33; cf.: otia corpus alunt, animus quoque pascitur illis; Inmodicus contra carpit utrumque labor,Ov. P. 1, 4, 21 sq.: aras etiam templaque demolitur et obscurat oblivio, neglegit carpitque posteritas,Plin. Pan. 55, 9: totum potest excedere quod potest carpi,Sen. N. Q. 2, 13, 2.—So
* Viam, iter, etc., or with definite local substantives, terram, mare, litora, etc., to go, tread upon, pass over, navigate, sail along or through, to take or pursue one's way (syn. ire): viam,Verg. A. 6, 629; Hor. S. 2, 6, 93; Ov. M. 8, 208; 11, 139: iter,Hor. S. 1, 5, 95; Ov. H. 18, 34; id. M. 2, 549; 10, 709: supremum iter = mori,Hor. C. 2, 17, 12: gyrum,to go in a circle,Verg. G. 3, 191: fugam,to fly,Sil. 10, 62; cf.: prata fugā,Verg. G. 3, 142: pede viam,Ov. A. A. 2, 230: pede iter,id. F. 3, 604: pedibus terras, pontum remis,Prop. 1, 6, 33: pede campos,Ov. Tr. 1, 10, 23: mare,id. M. 11, 752: litora,id. ib. 12, 196; 15, 507: aëra alis,id. ib. 4, 616; cf. Verg. G. 4, 311: aethera,Ov. M. 8, 219: carpitur acclivis per muta silentia trames,id. ib. 10, 53.
* Supra: si erunt plures qui ob innocentem condemnandum pecuniam acceperint, tu non animadvertes in omnis, sed carpes ut velis, et paucos ex multis ad ignominiam sortiere?distinguish, single out,Cic. Clu. 46, 129; cf.: in multorum peccato carpi paucos ad ignominiam,id. ib.

s. TLL