dē-tergĕo, si, sum, 2 (also post-class.: detergis, Claud. Cons. Mall. Theod. 191: detergunt, id. ap. Eutr. 2, 375: detergantur, Dig. 33, 7, 12, § 21; Ap. Mag. 59, p. 312, 26; Sen. Ep. 47, 4, v. tergeo), v. a.
I To wipe off, wipe away (class.).
A Lit.: sudorem frontis brachio, Suet. Ner. 23; cf.: lacrimas pollice, Ov. M. 13, 746; cf.: teneros fletus stamine, Claud. in Eutr. 2, 375: araneas, Dig. 33, 7, 12, § 21.—Poet.: nubila, i. e. to drive away, remove , Hor. Od. 1, 7, 15; cf. sidera, to drive or chase away , Cic. Arat. 246.—
2 Transf., to cleanse by wiping, to wipe off, wipe clean, to clean out : caput pallio, Plaut. Cas. 2, 3, 20: labra spongiā, Col. 6, 9, 2; cf.: se linguā, id. 6, 6, 1: frontem unguento, Petr. 47, 1: falces fibrina pelle, Plin. 17, 28, 47, § 265: cloacas, Liv. 39, 44; cf. Suet. Aug. 18.—Comic: mensam, i. e. to clear, to empty , Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 2.—
B Trop.
1 To take away, remove : fastidia, Col. 8, 10, 5: somnum, Claud. Epith. Pall. et Cel. 27.—
2 To cleanse, purge : animum helleboro, Petr. 88, 4; secula foedo victu, Claud. Cons. Mall. Theod. 1, 191.—
3 In colloq. lang., of money: primo anno LXXX. detersimus, have swept off, got , Cic. Att. 14, 10, 6.—
II To strip off, break off; to break to pieces : remos, Caes. B. C. 1, 58; Liv. 28, 30 fin. : pinnas asseribus falcatis, id. 38, 5: palmites, Col. 4, 27 fin.