(verb) : dēlĕo, lēvi, lētum, 2 (
* Perf. sync. delerunt, Cic. Red. in Sen. 2, 4: delerit,Cic. Cat. 4, 9, 19; id. Balb. 19, 43: delerat,id. Fam. 15, 5, 3: delerant,id. Sest. 19, 44; plqpf. subj. sync. delesset, Val. Max. 3, 7; Liv. 27, 40, 4; part. perf. dēlĭtus: litterae delitae, Varr. ap. Diom. p. 372: epistola delita, Calvus ib.; Cic. Ep. ap. Prisc. p. 873; cf. 1. aboleo), Sanscr. R. lī, adhere; cf.: vi-lī, dissolve; Gr. λίμνη, λιμήν, λειμών, etc.; Lat. lino, perf. levi; polio, etc.; cf. also Gr. λιμός, Lat. lētum, to abolish, destroy, annihilate (freq. and class.; cf.: eluo, diluo, diruo, exstinguo, everto, demolior, destruo).
* Of objects not personal: si certo tempore luna Gignitur et certo deletur tempore rursus,Lucr. 5, 748 (for which, shortly before, nova luna creari ... aborisci): si Juppiter saepe urbes delevit, fruges perdidit, etc.,Cic. Rosc. Am. 45, 131; so, urbem Numantiam, Carthaginem, etc.,Caes. B. C. 2, 12 fin.; Cic. Cat. 4, 10, 21; Sall. J. 8, 2; Hor. Od. 3, 6, 14; Ov. M. 13, 219 al.; cf.: magnam Graeciam,Cic. Lael. 4, 13: nomen Aequorum prope ad internecionem,Liv. 9, 45; and, Volscum nomen,id. 3, 8: sepulcrum,Cic. Leg. 2, 26: aedificia,id. Agr. 2, 32 fin. al.: epistulas,id. Fam. 7, 18, 2; so of the blotting out, effacing, obliterating, of writing, id. ib. 14, 3; id. Clu. 14, 41; id. Rosc. Com. 2 fin.; Quint. 10, 3, 31; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 69; id. A. P. 389; Ov. M. 9, 524; Vulg. Apoc. 3, 5: stigmata in facie,Plin. 25, 13, 110, § 175: radices,Col. 11, 3, 56 al.
* Trop., to finish, stop, terminate, end: praesentia, futura bella,Cic. Lael. 3, 11: omnes leges una rogatione,id. Sest. 26: omnia morte, id. Lael, 4, 13: omnem memoriam discordiarum oblivione sempiterna,id. Phil. 1, 1; cf. id. Deiot. 13, 37: nec si quid olim lusit Anacreon, Delevit aetas,Hor. Od. 4, 9, 10; trop.: deleo omnes dehinc ex animo mulieres (i. e. memoriam mulierum),Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 5: veritatem (simulatio),Cic. Lael. 25, 92: omnem molestiam,id. Q. Fr. 3, 8: improbitatem (with exstinguere),id. Div. in Caecil. 8, 26; cf.: turpitudinem fugae virtute,Caes. B. G. 2, 27: priorem ignominiam,Liv. 39, 30.
* Of personal objects: dispersis ac paene deletis hostibus,destroyed, annihilated,Caes. B. G. 6, 36, 2; so milit.,id. ib. 6, 37, 7; id. B. C. 3, 70; Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 8, 21; id. Mur. 35 fin.; id. Vat. 10, 24 init.; Tac. A. 4, 51; Verg. A. 11, 898 al.: homines morte deletos,Cic. N. D. 1, 15: toto animante deleto,id. Tusc. 1, 37, 90; rarely of a single person: C. Curionem,id. Vat. 10, 24 fin.

s. TLL