(adverb) : dē, : of place
* Down, only in the phrase susque deque, q. v.

(preposition) : dē, perh. for ded; cf. Oscan dat, old abl. of pronom. stem da; cf. also Lith. praep. da, as far as; and the suffixes, old case-forms, -dam, -dem, -dum, -do, with the locative -de; v. Ribbeck, Beitr. z. L. v. d. Lat. Part. p. 4 sq. (with abl., denotes
* The going out, departure, removal, or separating of an object from any fixed point. Accordingly, it occupies a middle place between ab, away from, which denotes a mere external departure, and ex, out of, which signifies from the interior of a thing. Hence verbs compounded with de are constr. not only with de, but quite as freq. with ab and ex; and, on the other hand, those compounded with ab and ex often have the terminus a quo indicated by de), from, away from, down from, out of, etc.
* In space, lit. and trop. with verbs of motion: animam de corpore mitto, Enn. ap. Non. p. 150, 6 (Ann. v. 216 Vahl.): aliquo quom jam sucus de corpore cessit,Lucr. 3, 224: (quod Ariovistus) de altera parte agri Sequanos decedere juberet,to depart, withdraw from,Caes. B. G. 1, 31, 10; cf.: civitati persuasit, ut de finibus suis cum omnibus copiis exirent,id. ib. 1, 2: decedere de provincia,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 20, § 49 ( = ex provincia, id. ib. 2, 2, 65, § 147): de vita decedere,Cic. Rab. Perd. 11: exire de vita,id. Lael. 4, 15 (cf.: excedere e vita,id. ib. 3, 12): de triclinio, de cubiculo exire,id. de Or. 2, 65 fin.: hamum de cubiculo ut e navicula jacere,Plin. Ep. 9, 7, 4: de castris procedere,Sall. C. 61, 8 et saep.: brassica de capite et de oculis omnia (mala) deducet,Cato R. R. 157, 6: de digito anulum detraho,Ter. Heaut. 4, 1, 38; cf.: de matris complexu aliquem avellere atque abstrahere,Cic. Font. 17: nomen suum de tabula sustulit,id. Sest. 33, 72: ferrum de manibus extorsimus,id. Cat. 2, 1, 2: juris utilitas vel a peritis vel de libris depromi potest,id. de Or. 1, 59, 252 et saep.: ... decido de lecto praeceps,Plaut. Casin. 5, 2, 50: de muro se deicere,Caes. B. C. 1, 18, 3: de sella exsilire,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 30 fin.: nec ex equo vel de muro, etc., hostem destinare,Tert. adv. Jud. 9, p. 192: de caelo aliquid demittere,Lucr. 2, 1155; cf. Cato R. R. 14, 3 et saep.
* In composition the e becomes short before a vowel, as in dĕhisco, dĕhinc, dĕorsum, and coincides with it in the poets by synaeresis; cf.: dehinc, deinde, deinceps, deorsum; sometimes contraction takes place, as in debeo, debilis, dego, demo, from dehabeo, de-habilis, de-ago, de-emo.
* In time.
* Transf., to indicate the quarter from which motion proceeds (cf. ab), from, and because motion is so often and naturally downwards, down from: haec agebantur in conventu, palam, de sella ac de loco superiore,Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 40; cf. ib. 2, 2, 38: quem ad se vocari et de tribunali citari jussit,id. ib. 2, 5, 7: qui nihil ex occulto, nihil de insidiis, agendum putant,Cic. Off. 1, 30, 109; cf. de tergo plagas dare,from behind,Plaut. Asin. 2, 2, 10; Just. 20, 5, 5: de paupere mensa dona,Tib. 1, 1, 37 et saep.—In jurid. Latin: de plano discutere, interloqui, cognoscere, etc., i. e. on level ground, not on the tribunal (cf. χαμόθεν, opp. πρὸ βήματος, Dig. 27, 1, 13, § 10), Dig. 1, 4, 1; 1, 16, 9; 14. 3, 11 et saep.; so, de plano, off-hand, without formal consideration, Lucr. 1, 411; v. planus.—And with pendeo, etc. (the motion in the eye transferred to the object): deque viri collo dulce pependit onus,Ov. F. 2, 760: lucerna de camera pendebat,Petr. 30, 3; cf.: et nova de gravido palmite gemma tumet,Ov. F. 1, 152: de qua pariens arbore nixa dea est,leaning downwards against the tree,id. H. 21, 100.
* In other relations, implying separation, departure from, etc.
* De nocte, de vigilia, etc., to designate an act which begins or takes its origin from the night-time, Engl. during or in the course of the night, at night, by night, etc.: De. Rus cras cum filio Cum primo lucu ibo hinc. Mi. Imo de nocte censeo, to-night rather, Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 55: in comitium Milo de nocte venit, in the night (cf. shortly before, Milo media nocte in campum venit), Cic. Att. 4, 3, 4; cf. id. Mur. 33, 69: vigilas tu de nocte,id. ib. 9, 22; cf.: de nocte evigilabat,Suet. Vesp. 21: ut jugulent homines, surgunt de nocte latrones,at night,Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 32; and Hannibal surgere de nocte solitus, Frontin Strat. 4, 3, 7 et saep.: ut de nocte multa impigreque exsurrexi,late in the night,Plaut. Rud. 4, 2, 10; so, multa de nocte,Cic. Sest. 35, 75; id. Att. 7, 4 fin. (for which multa nocte, id. Q. Fr. 2, 9); cf. also: si de multa nocte (al. de nocte) vigilassent,id. Att. 2, 15, 2: Caesar mittit complures equitum turmas eo de media nocte,Caes. B. G. 7, 45; 7, 88; so, media de nocte,at midnight,Suet. Calig. 26; Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 91: Caesar de tertia vigilia e castris profectus,in the third night-watch,Caes. B. G. 1, 12: de tertia vigilia,id. ib. 1, 21; Liv. 9, 44 Drak.; 40, 4 al.; cf.: de quarta vigilia,Caes. B. G. 1, 21, 3 al.; v. vigilia. —As in this manner de nocte became adverbially = nocte, so de die was sometimes used for die or per diem: de die potare,by day, in the daytime,Plaut. Asin. 4, 2, 16: epulari de die,Liv. 23, 8; Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 8; Catull. 47, 6; Suet. Calig. 37; id. Domit. 21; cf.: bibulus media de luce Falerni,Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 34; and in a lusus verbb. with in diem,Cic. Phil. 2, 34 fin.—Less freq., de mense: navigare de mense Decembri,in December,Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 1 fin.—And once de tempore for tempore: ipse de tempore coenavit, Auct. B. Hisp. 33, 5.
* To designate the whole, from which a part is taken, or of which a part is separately regarded, etc., from among, out of, from: hominem certum misi de comitibus meis,Cic. Att. 8, 1, 2: gladio percussus ab uno de illis,id. Mil. 24, 65: si quis de nostris hominibus,id. Flacc. 4: quemvis de iis qui essent idonei,id. Div. in Caecil. 4 fin.: de tribus et decem fundis tres nobilissimi fundi,id. Rosc. Am. 35, 99 et saep.: accusator de plebe,id. Brut. 34, 131: pulsare minimum de plebe Quiritem,Ov. Am. 1, 7, 29; cf. Liv. 7, 17: malus poëta de populo,Cic. Arch. 10, 25 et saep.: partem solido demere de die,Hor. Od. 1, 1, 20: quantum de vita perdiderit,Petr. 26: praeteriine tuas de tot caelestibus aras,Ov. Her. 21, 179; Juv. 1, 138.
* Sometimes de with abl. takes the place of the gen. partit. or gen. obj. In the best writers this occurs mainly
* To indicate the property from which the costs of any thing are taken: obsonat, potat, olet unguenta de meo,Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 37; so, de tuo,Plaut. Bac. 1, 1, 65: de suo,Cic. Att. 16, 16, A, 5; Suet. Caes. 19: de nostro,Plaut. Truc. 1, 2, 11: de vestro,Liv. 6, 15, 10; cf.: de vestris,Ov. F. 3, 828: de alieno,Liv. 3, 1, 3; Just. 36, 3 fin.: de publico,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 44; Liv. 1, 20; 2, 16; 4, 60. For de tuo, once de te: de te largitor puer,Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 17.—Also in a trop. sense: ad tua praecepta de meo nihil his novum apposivi,Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 31; cf. id. Men. 1. 2, 40; Cic. Fam. 4, 3; Plin. Ep. 4, 13, 8.—Poet., to denote that out of which, or by which, one pays a penalty or suffers punishment: has vestro de sanguine poenas datis,Luc. 4, 805; cf.: cum de visceribus tuis satisfacturus sis quibus debes,Cic. Q. Frat. 1, 3, 7.
* To designate the material of which any thing is made, of, out of, from: niveo factum de marmore signum,Ov. M. 14, 313; cf. Verg. G. 3, 13: verno de flore corona,Tib. 2, 1, 59: sucus de quinquefolio,Plin. 26, 4, 11: cinis de fico,Pall. 1, 35, 3 et saep.: de templo carcerem fleri,Cic. Phil. 5, 7; cf. Flor. 2, 6, 32: captivum de rege facturi,Just. 7, 2, 11; cf.: inque deum de bove versus erat,Ov. F. 5, 616 et saep.: fles de rhetore consul,Juv. 7, 197.—Cf. trop. by means of: de eodem oleo et opera exaravi nescio quid ad te,Cic. Att. 13, 38.—Prov.: de nihilo nihilum,Pers. 3, 84; cf. Lucr. 1, 157 sq.
* In mental operations, to indicate the subject-matter or theme on which any mental act (thinking, considering, advising, determining, etc.; discoursing, informing, exhorting, deciding, disputing, doubting, etc.) is founded; of, about, concerning, Gr. περί: cogitare de aliqua re, etc. (the most common signification): multa narrare de Laelio,Cic. Lael. 1, 1: dubitare de re,id. Fam. 3, 10, 15: de suo adventu docere,Suet. Caes. 9: de moribus admonere,Sall. Cat. 5, 9 et saep.—With this, too, is connected its use
* To indicate the producing cause or reason, for, on account of, because of: nam id nisi gravi de causa non fecisset,Cic. Att. 7, 7, 3; cf. id. de Or. 1, 41, 186; Cael ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 15; Cic. Att. 11, 3: de quo nomine ad arbitrum adiisti, de eo ad judicium venisti,id. Rosc. Com. 4, 12: flebat uterque non de suo supplicio, sed pater de filii morte, de patris filius,Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 30, § 76: de labore pectus tundit,with pain,Plaut. Casin. 2, 6, 63: incessit passu de vulnere tardo,Ov. M. 10, 49: humus fervet de corpore,id. ib. 7, 560: facilius de odio creditur,Tac. H. 1, 34: quod erat de me feliciter Ilia mater,through me,Ov. F. 3, 233 et saep.
* To indicate the thing with reference to which any thing is done, with respect to, concerning: de istac re in oculum utrumvis conquiescito,Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 121: nil peccat de savio, Caec. ap. Gell. 2, 23, 11 (v. 161 Ribbeck): credere de numero militum,Cic. Att. 9, 1, 2: de numero dierum fidem servare,Caes. B. G. 6, 36; Sall. C. 50, 3: de ceteris senatui curae fore,id. Jug. 26, 1: concessum ab nobilitate de consule plebeio,Liv. 6, 42: solem de virgine rapta consule,Ov. F. 4, 581 et saep.—Ellipt.: de argento somnium,as for the money,Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 50 (for which id. Heaut. 4, 2, 4: quod de argento sperem, nihil est): Varr. R. R. 1, 59, 1: de Dionysio sum admiratus,Cic. Att. 9, 12; id. Off. 1, 15, 47: de me autem suscipe paullisper meas partes,id. Fam. 3, 12, 2; Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 36 et saep.: de Samnitibus triumphare,concerning, over,Cic. Sen. 16, 55; cf. Hor. 4, 2, 88: de Atheniensibus victoria,Curt. 8, 1, 33.
* To indicate the thing in conformity with which any thing is done, according to, after: secundum: DE SENATVOS SENTENTIAD, S. C. de Bac.: fecisse dicas de mea sententia,Plaut. Bac. 4, 9, 115; cf.: de suorum propinquorum sententia atque auctoritate fecisse dicatur,Cic. Cael. 29: de consilii sententia Mamertinis se frumentum non imperare pronunciat, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 21 al.: de ejus consilio velle sese facere,Ter. Ph. 3, 1, 17: vix de mea voluntate concessum est,Cic. Att. 4, 2, 4: de exemplo meo ipse aedificato,Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 86: de more vetusto,Verg. A. 11, 142; Ov. M. 7, 606: de nomine,id. ib. 1, 447: patrioque vocat de nomine mensem,id. F. 3, 77.
* With adjectives to form adverbial expressions.
* De integro, anew ( = ab integro, ex integro; cf.: iterum, rursus, denuo), indidemque eadem aeque oriuntur de integro, atque eodem occidunt, Pac. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 17 Müll. (v. 92 Ribb.): ratio de integro ineunda est mihi,Ter. Heaut. 4, 2, 7; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 56; id. Att. 13, 27; id. Fam. 12, 30, 2 et saep. (The combination de novo appears only in the contracted form denuo, v. h. v.).
* De improviso, unexpectedly: ubi de improviso interventum est mulieri,Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 40; id. And. 2, 2, 23; id. Ad. 3, 3, 53; Caes. B. G. 2, 3; 5, 22; 5, 39 et saep.; Cic. Rosc. Am. 52, 151 et saep.
* De transverso, unexpectedly: ecce autem de transverso L. Caesar ut veniam ad se rogat,Cic. Att. 15, 4 fin.; Auct. Her. 4, 10, 14.!*? De is often put between an adj. or pron. and its substantive; cf. above multa de nocte, media de nocte, gravi de causa, etc.: qua de re,Ter. Andr. 1, 2, 13; esp. in the judic. formula: qua de re agitur; cf. Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 6; Cic. Brut. 79 fin. Also freq. after a simple relative: quo de,Cic. Inv. 1, 28, 41; 54, 104; 2, 11, 37: qua de,id. ib. 2, 23, 70 et saep.
* Signif.
* Separation, departure, removal, taking away; off, away, down, out: decedo, demigro, demeto, depromo, descendo, devolvo, derivo, deflecto, etc.; and trop. dedico, denuntio; and in a downward direction, decido, decumbo, deprimo, demergo, delabor, defluo, demitto, desido, desideo, declivis, deculco, degredior, deicio, etc.
* Cessation, removal of the fundamental idea ( = un-, de-, dis-): dearmo, deartuo, decresco, dedisco, dedecoro, dedignor, dedoceo, denascor, denormo, desum, etc.; and hence direct negation, as in dedecet, deformis, demens, etc.
* With reference to the terminus of the action: defero, defigo, demitto, etc.; hence also trop., with reference to the extent of the action, to the uttermost, to exhaustion, through. out: debacchor, debello, dedolo, delino, delibuo, etc.: defatigo, delaboro, delasso, etc.; hence freq. a mere strengthening of the fundamental idea, = valde, thoroughly, much: demiror, demitigo, etc.
* Giving a bad sense to the verb: decipio, delinquo, deludo, derideo, detestor.
* Rarely, contraction from a broad into a narrow space, together: deligo, devincio. See also Hand Turs. II. p. 183-229.

s. TLL