(verb) : dē-cerpo, psi, ptum, 3, carpo
* To pluck off, to tear, pull, or break off, to crop, gather (class.; most freq. in the poets.—Constr., usually aliquid ex aliqua re; less freq. aliquid de aliqua re).
* Lit.: acina de uvis decerpito,Cato R. R. 112, 3: novos flores,Lucr. 1, 927; 4, 3; cf.: undique decerptam fronti praeponere olivam,Hor. Od. 1, 7, 7: arbore pomum,Ov. M. 5, 536; cf. id. Pont. 3, 5, 19; and auricomos fetus arbore,Verg. A. 6, 141: praetenuia fila ex abietibus,Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 128; lilia tenero ungui,Prop. 1, 20, 39; cf.: pollice florem,Ov. F. 5, 255; and aurea poma manu mea,id. M. 10, 649; Val. Max. 2, 8, 5: herbas,Ov. M. 1, 645: ficum,Juv. 14, 253 et saep.—Absol.: floret (thymum) circa solstitia, cum et apes decerpunt,Plin. 21, 10, 31, § 56; Catull. 64, 316.
* Trop.: quae (omnia) nisi cotidie decerpantur arescunt,Quint. 12, 10, 79: humanus animus decerptus ex mente divina,Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38; cf. Quint. 4, 1, 23: ne quid jocus de gravitate decerperet,Cic. de Or. 2, 56, 229: quarum (materiarum) nunc facillima decerpunt,Quint. 10, 5, 21.—Poet.: oscula mordenti semper decerpere rostro, Catull. 68, 127 (cf.: carpo, no. II. 1); for which, ora puellae,Verg. Cop. 33 Sillig.—Hence
* Transf.
* (Acc. to carpo, no. II. 1.) To enjoy: ex re fructus,Hor. S. 1, 2, 79: primas noctes tecum epulis,Pers. 5, 43: murmura vocis,Stat. Th. 6, 165: decus primae pugnae,Sil. 4, 138; cf.: nihil sibi ex ista laude centurio decerpit,Cic. Marc. 2, 7: mulieres,Vulg. Baruch, 6, 27.
* (Acc. to carpo, no. II. 1.) To destroy: quae (invidia) spes tantas decerpat,Quint. 6 prooem. § 6; cf.: illibatam virginitatem,Sen. Contr. 1, 2 med.

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