crĕmo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [Sanscr. çar, çri, to boil, roast; cf. carbo], to burn, consume by fire (freq. and class.; cf. comburo).
I In gen.: ignis silvas cremarat, Lucr. 5, 1242; cf.: poëtam igni, Suet. Calig. 27 fin. : omnes collegas suos vivos, Val. Max. 6, 3, 2; Curt. 4, 8, 9: damnatum poenam sequi oportebat, ut igni cremaretur, Caes. B. G. 1, 4; Curt. 8, 9, 32; 5, 6, 7: urbem incendiis, Plin. 17, 1, 1, § 5: cremare et diruere urbem, Liv. 28, 19, 12: Ilium, Hor. C. 4, 4, 53: lectum, Suet. Caes. 84: libros, id. Aug. 31: frondem et herbas, Ov. M. 6, 457: rates, id. ib. 14, 85 et saep.: in cinerem, Plin. 20, 5, 20, § 41.—
II In partic.
A Of the burning of the dead: primus (Sulla) e patriciis Corneliis igni voluit cremari, Cic. Leg. 2, 22, 57: mortali corpore cremato, id. Div. 1, 23, 47: cujus (Catonis) a me corpus est crematum, id. Sen. 23, 84; Plin. 7, 54, 55, § 187; Tac. G. 27; Suet. Aug. 100; Hor. Epod. 17, 79 et saep.—
B Of the burning of victims in sacrifices, Ov. M. 13, 637; id. F. 4, 639; Vulg. Lev. 5, 12.—
C Of things devoted, Liv. 41, 12, 6; 10, 29, 18.