al-lĕvo (adl-), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [1. lĕvo].
I Lit., to lift up , to raise on high , to raise , set up (in the ante-Aug. per. very rare, perh. only twice in Sall. and Hirt.; later often, esp. in Quint. and the histt.): quibus (laqueis) adlevati milites facilius ascenderent, * Sall. J. 94, 2: pauci elevati scutis, borne up on their shields (others: adlevatis scutis, with uplifted shields , viz. for protection against the darts of the enemy), Auct. B. Alex. 20: gelidos complexibus adlevat artus, Ov. M. 6, 249: cubito adlevat artus, id. ib. 7, 343: naves turribus atque tabulatis adlevatae, Flor. 4, 11, 5: supercilia adlevare, Quint. 11, 3, 79 (cf. the Gr. τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπᾶν); so, bracchium, id. 11, 3, 41: pollicem, id. 11, 3, 142: manum, id. 11, 3, 94; Vulg. Eccli. 36, 3: oculos, Curt. 8, 14: faciem alicujus manu, Suet. Calig. 36: adlevavit eum, lifted him up (of the lame man), Vulg. Act. 3, 7 al.—
II Trop.
A To lighten , alleviate , mitigate physical or mental troubles; or, referring to the individual who suffers, to lift up , sustain , comfort , console (class.): aliorum aerumnam dictis adlevans, old poet in Cic. Tusc. 3, 29, 71 (cf. Sophocl. Fragm. ap. Brunck. p. 588: Καλῶς κακῶς πράσσοντι συμπαραινέσας): ubi se adlevat, ibi me adlevat, * Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 3: Allevat Dominus omnes, qui corruunt, Vulg. Psa. 144, 14: dejecistis eos, dum adlevarentur, ib. ib. 72, 18: onus, aliquā ex parte, Cic. Rosc. Am. 4, 10: sollicitudines, id. Brut. 3, 12: adlevor cum loquor tecum absens, id. Att. 12, 39: adlevare corpus, id. ib. 7, 1; Ov. Tr. 3, 8, 31: adlevor animum (poet.), Tac. A. 6, 43.—
B To diminish the force or weight of a thing, to lessen , lighten : adversariorum confirmatio diluitur aut infirmatur aut adlevatur, Cic. Inv. 1, 42, 78: adlevatae notae, removed , Tac. H. 1, 52.—
C To raise up , i. e. to make distinguished; pass. , to be or become distinguished : C. Caesar eloquentiā et spiritu et jam consulatu adlevabatur, Flor. 4, 2, 10.