(verb) : sĕco, cŭi, ctum (
* Part. fut. secaturus, Col. 5, 9, 2), 1, root sak-, to cut; whence securis, sĕcula, serra (secra), segmen, sexus, saxum, etc.; cf. sīca, and Gr. κείω, κεάζω, σχίζω, to cut, cut off, cut up (class.; syn.: caedo, scindo).
* Lit.
* In gen.: leges duodecim tabularum, si plures forent, quibus rens esset judicatus, secare, si vellent, atque partiri corpus addicti sibi hominis permiserunt,Gell. 20, 1, 48 sq.; cf.: et judicatos in partes secari a creditoribus leges erant,Tert. Apol. 4: cape cultrum, seca Digitum vel aurem,Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 38 sq.: omne animal secari ac dividi potest, nullum est eorum individuum,Cic. N. D. 3, 12, 29: pabulum secari non posse, be cut, mown, * Caes. B. G. 7, 14; so, sectae herbae,Hor. S. 2, 4, 67: gallinam,to cut to pieces,Juv. 5, 124: placenta,Mart. 3, 77, 3: alicui collum gladio suā dexterā,Q. Cic. Petit. Cons. 3, 10: palatum,to divide,Cels. 8, 1: tergora in frusta,Verg. A. 1, 212: dona auro gravia sectoque elephanto, i. e. of carved, wrought ivory (an imitation of the Homeric πριστὸς ἐλέφας, Od. 18, 196), Verg. A. 3, 464: marmora,Hor. C. 2, 18, 17: sectis nitebat marmoribus, Luc. 10, 114; so absol.: nec ideo ferrum secandi vim non perdidit,Sen. Ben. 5, 5, 1: prave sectus unguis,Hor. Ep. 1, 104: secti lapides,Vulg. Exod. 20, 25.
* Trop. (acc. to I. C. 1. and 2.). *
* Med. t. t., to cut surgically; to operate on; to cut off or out, amputate, excise, etc.: in corpore si quid ejusmodi est, quod reliquo corpori noceat, id uri secarique patimur,Cic. Phil. 8, 5, 15; cf.: saevitia secandi,Plin. 29, 1, 6, § 13; so, membra,id. 26, 11, 69, § 112: vomicam,Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 13: varices Mario,Cic. Tusc. 2, 15, 35 (for which, exciditur, Cels. 7, 31); cf. of the same: C. Marius cum secaretur, ut supra dixi, principio vetuit se alligari; nec quisquam ante Marium solutus dicitur esse sectus,was cut, operated upon,Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 53: servum,Just. Inst. 4, 3, 6.
* Transf. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
* To scratch, tear, wound, hurt, injure (cf. caedo, II.): ambo (postes) ab infimo tarmes secat,the worms are gnawing them, they are wormeaten,Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 140: luctantis acuto ne secer ungui,lest I should be torn,Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 47; cf.: rigido sectas invenit ungue genas,Ov. F. 6, 148: teneras plantas tibi (glacies),Verg. E. 10, 49: corpora vepres,id. G. 3, 444: crura (sentes),Ov. M. 1, 509: pete ferro Corpus et intorto verbere terga seca,cut, lacerate,Tib. 1, 9, 22; so, sectus flagellis,Hor. Epod. 4, 11: loris,Mart. 10, 5, 14 al.: si quem podagra secat,gnaws, torments,Cat. 71, 2; imitated by Martial: podagra cheragraque secatur Gaius,Mart. 9, 92, 9.
* Like the Gr. τέμνειν, and our to cut, i. e.
* To divide, cleave, separate (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): quos (populos) secans interluit Allia,Verg. A. 7, 717: medios Aethiopas (Nilus),Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 53: medios agros (Tiberis),Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 12: medium agmen (Turnus),Verg. A. 10, 440: agrum (limes),Plin. 18, 34, 77, § 331: caelum (zonae),Ov. M. 1, 46: sectus orbis,Hor. C. 3, 27, 75; cf.: in longas orbem qui secuere vias,Ov. Am. 2, 16, 16.
* With the idea of motion, to cut through, i. e. to run, sail, fly, swim, go, etc., through: delphinum similes, qui per maria umida nando Carpathium Libycumque secant,cut through, cleave,Verg. A.5, 595: aequor,id. ib. 5, 218: pontum,id. ib. 9, 103: aequor Puppe,Ov. M. 11, 479: fretum puppe,id. ib. 7, 1; cf.: vada nota (amnis),id. ib. 1, 370: ales avis ... geminis secat aëra pennis,Cic. Arat. 48: aethera pennis (avis),Verg. G. 1, 406; 1, 409: auras (cornus),id. A. 12, 268: ventos (Cyllenia proles),ib. ib. 4, 257: sub nubibus arcum (Iris),id. ib. 9, 15 et saep.— Secare viam (vias), the Gr. τέμνειν ὁδόν, to take one's way, to travel a road: ille viam secat ad naves,Verg. A. 6, 899: hinc velut diversae secari coeperunt viae,Quint. 3, 1, 14.
* To cut up, lash in speaking, i.e. to censure, satirize: secuit Lucilius Urbem,Pers. 1, 114.
* To divide (not freq. till after the Aug. per.): cum causas in plura genera secuerunt,Cic. de Or. 2, 27, 117: haec in plures partes,Quint. 8, 6, 13; cf.: scrupulose in partes sectā divisionis diligentiā,id. 4, 5, 6: quae natura singularia sunt secant (corresp. to divido),id. 4, 5, 25: sectae ad tenuitatem suam vires (just before: distinguendo. dividendo),id. 12, 2, 13.—Hence, in Hor., like dirimo (II.), of disputes, to cut off, i.e. to decide them: quo multae magnaeque secantur judice lites,Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 42: magnas res, to cure (as it were, by a light operation), id. S. 1, 10, 15.—And once in Verg.: secare spem (the figure borrowed from the phrases secare mare, auras, viam): quae cuique est fortuna hodie, quam quisque secat spem, whatever hope each follows, i. e. indulges in, entertains, Verg. A. 10, 107 (secat, sequitur, tenet, habet; ut: Ille viam secat ad naves,id. ib. 6, 899: unde et sectas dicimus, habitus animorum et instituta philosophiae circa disciplinam, Serv.).