dē-lībo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to take off, take away a little from any thing; of food, to taste (class.).
I Lit.: parvam delibet ab aequore partem, Lucr. 6, 622: aliquid membrorum, Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 16: truncum, Col. 2, 2, 26: paululum carnis, Petr. 136, 1; cf. cenas (opp. edere), Favor. ap. Gell. 15, 8 fin. —
II Trop.
A To take, enjoy, pluck, gather : flos delibatus populi Suadaeque medulla, the picked flower of the people , Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 15, 58: ut omni ex genere orationem aucuper et omnes undique flosculos carpam atque delibem, cull , Cic. Sest. 56: ex universa mente divina delibatos animos habere, id. de Sen. 21, 78: novum honorem, to taste, enjoy , Liv. 5, 12; cf.: honores parcissime, Plin. Pan. 54, 3: oscula, Verg. A. 12, 434; Phaedr. 4, 24, 8: artes, Ov. F. 1, 169: omnia narratione, to touch upon , Quint. 4, 2, 55; cf. Plin. Pan. 38; Suet. Aug. 94: delibor, I am ripe for plucking , i. e. about to die , Vulg. 2 Tim. 4, 6. —
B To take away, detract from, diminish : neque ulla Res animi pacem delibat, Lucr. 3, 24: de laude jejuni hominis delibare quicquam, Cic. Fam. 10, 21, 2: aliquid de honestate, id. Inv. 2, 58, 174: de gloria sua, id. ib. 2, 39, 115: de virginitatis integritate, Flor. 2, 6, 40; cf.: castitatem virginis, Val. Max. 9, 1, 2 ext. : pudicitiam, Suet. Aug. 68: nec vitam ducendo demimus hilum Tempore de mortis nec delibare valemus, Lucr. 3, 1088 al.—Poet., transf.: Delibata deum per te tibi numina sancta Saepe oberunt, disparaged , Lucr. 6, 70; cf.: ille (Gracchus) nulla voce delibans insitam virtutem concidit tacitus, Auct. Her. 4, 55, 68.