con-tundo, tŭdi, tūsum (tunsum, Plin. 21, 27, 101, § 174; 28, 16, 62, § 221 al.), 3 (perf. contūdit, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 891 P., or Ann. v. 482 Vahl.; but contŭdit, id. ap. Prisc. l. l., or Ann. v. 387 Vahl.), v. a., to beat, bruise, grind, crush, pound, break to pieces (syn.: confringo, debilito; very freq. and class. in prose and poetry; not in Quint.; for in 11, 2, 13, confudit is the better reading).
I Lit.
A In gen.: oleas in lentisco, Cato R. R. 7, 4 (cited ap. Varr. R. R. 1, 60): thymum in pila, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 14; cf.: radices ferreis pilis, Col. 7, 7, 2: florem nullo aratro, * Cat. 62, 40: colla, Col. 6, 2, 8; 6, 14, 3: classis victa, fusa, contusa, fugataque est, Inscr. ap. Liv. 40, 52, 6: aliquem male fustibus, Plaut. Aul. 3, 1, 4; cf.: aliquem pugnis, id. Bacch. 3, 3, 46; and: pugiles caestibus contusi, Cic. Tusc. 2, 17, 40: aliquem saxis, Hor. Epod. 5, 98: pectus ictu, Ov. M. 12, 85: faciem planā palmā (with caedere pectus pugnis), Juv. 13, 128: contusi ac debilitati inter saxa rupesque, Liv. 21, 40, 9: hydram, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 10: nares a fronte resimas, to squeeze together, press in , Ov. M. 14, 96.—With acc. of part: asper equus duris contunditur ora lupatis, Ov. Am. 1, 2, 15.—Poet. of the beating to pieces of crops by hail: vites grando, Hor. Ep. 1, 8, 5 (cf. id. C. 3, 1, 29: non verberatae grandine vineae); and of lameness produced by disease, etc.: postquam illi justa cheragra Contudit articulos ( = debilitavit nodis), id. S. 2, 7, 16 (cf. Pers. 5, 58: cum lapidosa cheragra fregerit articulos, has crippled ).—
B In medic. lang.: contūsum ( -tun-sum ), i, n., a bruise, contusion (cf. contusio), Scrib. Comp. 209; Cels. 5, 28, 14; Plin. 29, 6, 39, § 136 sq. al.—
II Trop., to break, lessen, weaken, destroy, subdue, put down, baffle, check , etc. (syn.: frango, obtero, vinco): virosque valentes contudit crudelis hiems, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 891 P.; cf. id. Ann. v. 387 and 482 Vahl.: corpora conturbant magno contusa labore, Lucr. 4, 958: populos feroces, Verg. A. 1, 264: ferocem Hannibalem, Liv. 27, 2, 2: nostrae opes contusae hostiumque auctae erant, Sall. J. 43, 5: contudi animum et fortasse vici, Cic. Att. 12, 44, 3; cf.: animos feros placidā arte, Ov. A. A. 1, 12: contudi et fregi exsultantis praedonis audaciam, Cic. Phil. 13, 13, 29: calumniam et stultitiam (with obtrivit), id. Caecin. 7, 18: regum tumidas minas, Hor. C. 4, 3, 8: impetus, id. ib. 3, 6, 10: ingenium patientia longa laborum, Ov. Tr. 5, 12, 31: facta Talthybi, i. e. to surpass by my own , Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 33. (But in Lucr. 5, 692, concludit is the right reading, Lachm., Munro.)