dē-sisto, stĭti, stĭtum, 3 (perf. destitĕrunt, Lucr. 4, 975), v. a. and n. (for syn. v. desino init.).
I Act., to set down : in scopulo puellam, Ap. M. 4, p. 157 ( Anthol. Lat. 3, 174, 1).—
II Neutr .
A To stand off from a thing, to stand apart : quid tu tristis es? quid illa autem abs te irata destitit? Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 59.—
B Hence, of an action, to leave off, cease, give over, desist from (freq. and class.).—Constr. with de, ab , or simple abl., the dat., the inf., quin , and absol. (in class. prose most freq. with the simple abl., or with the inf.): verbo de sententia destitisti, Cic. Tusc. 2, 12, 28: de illa mente, id. Fam. 5, 2, 8: de petitione, Liv. 37, 58, 1: de diutina contentione, Nep. Timo th. 2: a defensione, Caes. B. C. 2, 12, 4; Liv. 38, 28, 9: ab oppugnatione, Sall. J. 25 fin. : ab operibus suis, Vulg. Sirach, 16, 27: hoc conatu, Caes. B. G. 1, 8 fin. : conatu, id. B. C. 3, 26, 3: oppugnatione, id. B. G. 6, 39, 4; id. B. C. 2, 13: consilio, id. B. G. 7, 26 fin. : negotio, id. ib. 1, 45: itinere, id. ib. 5, 11: fuga, id. ib. 4, 12, 2 (with fugere, id. ib. 1, 53, v. the foll.): sententia, id. ib. 6, 4, 2; Cic. Off. 3, 3 fin. : causa, id. ib. 3, 31, 112: impio bello, Liv. 7, 40: incepto, id. 7, 5, 6; 25, 2, 7; Verg. A. 1, 37.—With dat., poet.: pugnae, id. ib. 10, 441: labori, Stat. Th. 5, 273.—With inf.: regem flagitare, Cic. Rep. 2, 12: de isdem scribere, id. Fin. 1, 2, 6 fin. : locupletare cives, id. Rep. 2, 9, 15: causas agere, id. Brut. 91, 314: mortem timere, id. Tusc. 1, 49, 117: pecuniam polliceri, Caes. B. G. 6, 2: Inachia furere, Hor. Epod. 11, 5: persequi aliquem, Vulg. 1 Reg. 23, 28 et saep.—With quin : neque, eam quin inveniam, desistam, Plaut. Rud. 1, 4, 9; Vatin. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 10.— Absol. : desiste; recte ego rem meam sapio, Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 81; Lucr. 5, 825; Caes. B. G. 2, 11 fin. ; Hor. S. 1, 3, 3 et saep.: ter in primo destitit ore sonus, stuck in my throat , Ov. H. 4, 8; cf. id. F. 2, 823: desistente auctumno, i. e. coming to a close , Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 8.