(v. a.adj.) : mācĕro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.prob. from root μαγ-, μάσσω, to knead; through an adj. mācerus; v. Corss. Ausspr. 1, 395; cf. also măcer
* To make soft or tender, to soften by steeping, to soak, steep, macerate (not in Cic. or Caes.).
* Lit.: brassicam in aquam,Cato, R. R. 156, 5: salsamenta,Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 27: in piscina lupinum,Col. 1, 6, 21: semen lacte,id. 11, 3, 51: (ramos genistae) marinā aquā,Plin. 24, 9, 40, § 66: (siliginem) novem diebus maceratum ... subigunt,id. 18, 11, 27, § 106: grana (cacaliae) in oleo,id. 25, 11, 85, § 135: intestina piscium sale,id. 31, 7, 43, § 93: podagrici crura macerantes,Vitr. 18, 3.
* Transf., to weaken in body or mind, to waste away, enervate.
* Of the body: multos iste morbus homines macerat,Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 22; Liv. 26, 13: quam lentis macerer ignibus,Hor. C. 1, 13, 8; cf.: Macedo siti maceratus,Curt. 5, 13, 24: pars exercitus ad utilitatem nostram macerata perductaque ad exitiabilem famem,Vell. 2, 112, 4: Fabius sic maceravit Hannibalem, ut, etc.,i. e. Hannibal's army,Flor. 2, 6, 28: muscus crura vitium situ et veterno macerat,Col. 4, 22, 6: cor solum viscerum vitiis non maceratur,Plin. 11, 37, 69, § 182.
* Of the mind, to fret, vex, torment, distress, torture, pain (syn.: crucio, torqueo): egemet me concoquo et macero et defatigo,fret myself,Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 2: quor me excrucio? quor me macero? quor meam senectutem sollicito?Ter. And. 5, 3, 15; cf. id. Eun. 1, 2, 107: noli te macerare,id. And. 4, 2, 2: cura satis me lacrumis maceravi,Plaut. Capt. 5, 1, 8: hoc me facinus miserum macerat,id. Mil. 3, 1, 21: infelix sollicitudo persequitur nec oratorem macerat et coquit, * Quint. 12, 10, 77: quae vos macerent desiderio,Liv. 5, 54, 3; 26, 13, 8.—Poet., with a causal object-clause: consimili ratione ab eodem saepe timore macerat invidia, ante oculos illum esse potentem,Lucr. 3, 75.— Mid., to vex, torment one's self: maceror interdum, quod sim tibi causa dolendi,Ov. H. 2, 125: unum hoc maceror et doleo tibi deesse, Terenti, C. Caes. ap. Suet. Vit. Ter. fin.: ex desiderio magis magisque maceror, Afran. ap. Charis. p. 182 P.

s. TLL