dī-lŭo, ŭi, ūtum, 3
* V. a., to wash to pieces, wash away; to dissolve, dilute, cause to melt away; to wash, drench (freq. and class.).
* Lit.
* Ingen.: ne aqua lateres diluere posset, * Caes. B. C. 2, 10, 6: sata laeta boumque labores,Verg. G. 1, 326; cf.: sanguine diluitur tellus, is soaked, Furius Antias ap. Gell. 18, 11, 4: unguenta lacrimis,Ov. P. 1, 9, 53: alvum helleboro,Gell. 17, 15, 4: vulnus cruris aceto,Petr. 136, 7; cf.: ulcus ovi albore,Scrib. Comp. 24: colorem,i. e. to wash out, weaken,Plin. 31, 7, 42, § 91; Ov. P. 4, 10, 62: amnes diluuntur,Plin. 31, 4, 29, § 52.
* Trop.
* To weaken, lessen, impair; to do away with, remove: adversariorum confirmatio diluitur aut infirmatur aut elevatur,Cic. Inv. 1, 42: res leves infirmare ac diluere (opp. confirmare),id. Rosc. Am. 15; Quint. 9, 2, 80: molestias omnes (c. c. extenuare),Cic. Tusc. 3, 16; cf.: curam multo mero,Ov. A. A. 238: seriorem horam mero,id. H. 19, 14: vitium ex animo (Bacchus),Prop. 3, 17, 6 (4, 16, 6 M.): crimen,Cic. Mil. 27; id. Brut. 80, 278; Liv. 4, 14; Quint. 7, 10, 12 (opp. obicere); 9, 2, 53 (c. c. negare) et saep.; cf. also Cic. Cael. 15; Liv. 45, 10; Quint. 4, 2, 26; Ov. R. Am. 695 et saep.: invidiam aliqua cavillatione,Suet. Vesp. 23: injurias aere pauco,to atone for,Gell. 20, 1, 31: omnes affectuum vires, Quint, 11, 1, 52: ejus auctoritatem,Sen. Ep. 29: memoriam tam praeclarae rei,Val. Max. 9, 2, 1.—*
* Analog. with its synon. dissolvere, to solve a difficulty, i. e. to explain: mi, quod rogavi, dilue,Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 64.—Hence

s. TLL