(verb) : parco, pĕperci, less freq. parsi (the former constantly in Cic. and Caes., the latter ante-class. and post-Aug.: parcui, Naev. ap. Non. 153, 21, or Com. 69 Rib.;
* Part. fut. parsurus, Liv. 26, 13, 16; Suet. Tib. 62: parciturus,Hier. Ep. 14, 2), parsum, and less correctly parcĭtum, 3, and a. [for sparco; Gr. σπαρνός, rare; cf. Engl. spare; but v. also paucus, parvus], to act sparingly, be sparing with respect to a thing, to spare; constr. usually with dat. or absol.; ante-class. also with acc.
* Lit.
* Of things (rare but class.).
* Trop.
* Of persons, to spare, have mercy upon, forbear to injure or punish (eccl. and late Lat.), usually with dat.: non pepercisti filio tuo,Vulg. Gen. 22, 16; id. 2 Pet. 2, 4 et saep.
* With acc. (ante-class. and poet.): oleas,Cato, R. R. 58: pecuniam,Plaut. Curc. 3, 11: argenti atque auri memoras quae multa talenta, Gnatis parce tuis,spare, reserve for your children,Verg. A. 10, 532 Serv.—Prov.: qui parcit virgae odit filium,Vulg. Prov. 13, 24.
* To spare, i. e. to preserve by sparing, to use carefully, not to injure.
* With dat.: tibi parce,Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 112: justitia autem praecipit, parcere omnibus, consulere generi hominum,Cic. Rep. 3, 12: aedificiis omnibus publicis et privatis, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 54, § 120: amicitiis et dignitatibus,id. Or. 26, 89; id. Phil. 2, 24, 59: non aetate confectis, non mulieribus, non infantibus pepercerunt,Caes. B. G. 7, 28: subjectis, sed debellare superbos,Verg. A. 6, 853: ne reliquis quidem nepotibus parsurus creditur,Suet. Tib. 62: alicujus auribus,i. e. to refrain from speaking on disagreeable topics,Cic. Quint. 12, 40; so, auribus et consuetudini,id. de Or. 3, 43, 170: valetudini,id. Fam. 11, 27, 1: famae,Prop. 1, 16, 11: oculis,i. e. to turn away one's eyes from an unpleasant sight,id. 4, 9, 35: luminibus,Tib. 1, 2, 33; Suet. Dom. 11: parcit Cognatis maculis similis fera,Juv. 15, 159.
* To abstain or refrain from doing a thing; to forbear, leave off, desist, stop, cease, let alone, omit (cf.: desino, mitto): meo labori non parsi, Cato ap. Fest. p. 242 Müll.; cf. Plaut. Ps. 1, 1, 3; id. Pers. 2, 5, 11; so, neque parcetur labori,Cic. Att. 2, 14, 2: auxilio,to make no use of proffered assistance,id. Planc. 35, 86: lamentis,Liv. 6, 3: bello,abstain from,Verg. A. 9, 656: hibernis parcebant flatibus Euri,id. G. 2, 339: parce metu,cease from,id. A. 1, 257.
* Absol. (poet.): thyrso parcente ferit,i. e. lightly,Stat. Ach. 1, 572.
* With inf., to refrain, forbear (not in class. prose): visere opera tua,Cato, R. R. 1, 1: hancine ego vitam parsi perdere,Ter. Hec. 3, 1, 2: proinde parce, sis, fidem ac jura societatis jactare,Liv. 34, 32: parcite, oves, nimium procedere,Verg. E. 3, 94: pias scelerare manus,id. A. 3, 42: defundere vinum,Hor. S. 2, 2, 58: ne parce dare,id. C. 1, 28, 23: parce postea paupertatem cuiquam objectare,App. Mag. 23, p. 289, 3; Aug. Ep. 43, 24: ori,to refrain from speaking,Vulg. Job, 7, 11.—*
* With acc.: parcito linguam in sacrificiis dicebatur, i. e. coërceto, contineto, taceto,Fest. p. 222 Müll.—*
* With ab, to desist from: precantes, ut a caedibus et ab incendiis parceretur,Liv. 25, 25, 6; so with abl. alone: caede,Aus. Epigr. 130, 4.

s. TLL