dī-lăcĕro, āvi, ātum, 1
* V. a., to tear to pieces, to tear apart (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
* Lit.: dilaceranda feris dabor, * Cat. 64, 152; cf. Ov. H. 12, 116: dominum (canes),id. M. 3, 250: natum,id. H. 11, 112: muliebre corpus tormentis,Tac. A. 15, 57: aliquid (spiculā),to lacerate, wound,Cels. 7, 5, 2: leonem,Vulg. Judic. 14, 6.
* Trop.: annum integrum ad dilacerandam rem publicam quaerere,Cic. Mil. 9, 24: res publica dilacerata,Sall. J. 41, 5 Kritz. (prob. an imitation of Thuc. 3, 82 fin.): malis consultis animus dilaceratur,Tac. A. 6, 6 fin.; cf. opes,Ov. H. 1, 90 Loers.: gentem,Vulg. Isa. 18, 2: (dilaceravisti,Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 14 Fleck.; others, delac-).

s. TLL