Lewis Short
(verb) : sur-rŭo (subr-), ŭi, ŭtum, 3
* To tear down below, to undermine, to dig under, dig out; to break down, overthrow, demolish, etc. (class.; perh. not in Cic.).
* Lit.: arbores a radicibus,Caes. B. G. 6, 27: robora,Ov. M. 15, 228: ubi ingentes speluncas surruit aetas,Lucr. 6, 545: murum surruunt,Caes. B. G. 2, 6: multis simul locis aut surruti aut ariete decussi ruebant muri,Liv. 33, 17, 9: moenia cuniculo,id. 5, 21, 6: muri partem ariete incusso,id. 31, 46, 15; 21, 11, 8; 34, 29, 6: muros (with perfringere),Tac. H. 3, 28: turrim,Caes. B. C. 2, 12: vallum,Tac. H. 3, 28: arces et stantia moenia,Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 23: arces mundi,Prop. 3, 5 (4, 4), 31: claustra Pelusi Romano ferro,id. 3, 9, 55: montes,Plin. Ep. 8, 17, 3: harena fluctibus subruta,Vitr. 5, 12.—Poet.: haerens Subruta fallaci servat vestigia limo,Stat. Th. 9, 475.
* Trop., to undermine, subvert, corrupt: omnis surruitur natura,Lucr. 4, 866: nostram libertatem,Liv. 41, 23, 8: animum laudis avarum,Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 180: animos militum variis artibus,Tac. H. 2, 101: aemulos Reges muneribus,Hor. C. 3, 16, 14: ne multorum securitas subruatur, Traj. ap. Plin. Ep. 10, 111 (112).
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary