dē-pasco, pāvi, pastum, 3, v. a., and dē-pascor, ci, 3, v. depon., to feed down, feed off.
I Lit.
A Of the shepherd: si d. saepius voles, etc., Col. 2, 10, 31: glandem immisso pecore depasco, Dig. 10, 4, 9: saltus, Ov. F. 5, 283: luxuriem segetum, Verg. G. 1, 112.—
B Of the cattle, to feed upon, eat up, consume .
α Form depasco : si haedi roscidas herbas depaverint, Col. 7, 5, 21; Verg. G. 4, 539.—In the part. perf. : saepes Hyblaeis apibus florem depasta salicti, id. E. 1, 55; segetes, Plin. 18, 17, 45, § 161: altaria, poet. for that which is upon it , Verg. A. 5, 93.—
β Form depascor : papilio ceras depascitur, Plin. 11, 19, 21, § 65: miseros morsu depascitur artus (serpens), Verg. A. 2, 215; Vulg. Exod. 22, 5.—In the part. perf. , Claud. VI. Cons. Honor. 239; cf.: depastis juvencis, Auct. Laud. Herc. 77.—
II Trop.
A Depon .
1 To cull, select : omnia nos itidem depascimur aurea dicta, Lucr. 3, 12.—
2 To prune away, remove : in summa ubertate (orationis) inest luxuries quaedam, quae stilo depascenda est, Cic. de Or. 2, 23, 96.—
3 To destroy, waste : veterem possessionem Academiae, id. Leg. 1, 21, 55; so of disease: artus depascitur arida febris, Verg. G. 3, 458; imitated by Claud. in Rufin. 1, 302; id. Idyll. 3, 11.—
B Rarely in the act. form: et potuit Latium longo depascere bello? Sil. 16, 681: in inferno positi sunt; mors depascet eos, Vulg. Psa. 48, 14 (cf. carpo, no. II. B. 2: decerpo, no. II. B. 2 al.).—The part. perf. in a pass. signif.: ipsaque diris Frons depasta modis, Sil. 6, 51: depasti flammis scopuli, id. 12, 153.