dē-lībo, āvi, ātum, 1
* V. a., to take off, take away a little from any thing; of food, to taste (class.).
* Lit.: parvam delibet ab aequore partem,Lucr. 6, 622: aliquid membrorum,Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 16: truncum,Col. 2, 2, 26: paululum carnis,Petr. 136, 1; cf. cenas (opp. edere), Favor. ap. Gell. 15, 8 fin.
* Trop.
* To take, enjoy, pluck, gather: flos delibatus populi Suadaeque medulla, the picked flower of the people, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 15, 58: ut omni ex genere orationem aucuper et omnes undique flosculos carpam atque delibem,cull,Cic. Sest. 56: ex universa mente divina delibatos animos habere,id. de Sen. 21, 78: novum honorem,to taste, enjoy,Liv. 5, 12; cf.: honores parcissime,Plin. Pan. 54, 3: oscula, Verg. A. 12, 434; Phaedr. 4, 24, 8: artes,Ov. F. 1, 169: omnia narratione,to touch upon,Quint. 4, 2, 55; cf. Plin. Pan. 38; Suet. Aug. 94: delibor, I am ripe for plucking, i. e. about to die, Vulg. 2 Tim. 4, 6.
* To take away, detract from, diminish: neque úlla Res animi pacem delibat,Lucr. 3, 24: de laude jejuni hominis delibare quicquam,Cic. Fam. 10, 21, 2: aliquid de honestate,id. Inv. 2, 58, 174: de gloria sua,id. ib. 2, 39, 115: de virginitatis integritate,Flor. 2, 6, 40; cf.: castitatem virginis,Val. Max. 9, 1, 2ext.: pudicitiam,Suet. Aug. 68: nec vitam ducendo demimus hilum Tempore de mortis nec delibare valemus,Lucr. 3, 1088 al.—Poet., transf.: Delibata deum per te tibi numina sancta Saepe oberunt,disparaged,Lucr. 6, 70; cf.: ille (Gracchus) nulla voce delibans insitam virtutem concidit tacitus,Auct. Her. 4, 55, 68.

s. TLL