dī-rŭo, rŭi, rŭtum, 3, v. a., to tear asunder, overthrow, demolish, destroy (class. —cf.: deleo, diluo, exstinguo, everto, demolior).
I Prop.: maceriam, Ter. Ad. 908: urbem, Cic. Inv. 1, 40, 73; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 8, § 25; Suet. Caes. 54; Ov. M. 12, 551 et saep.: muros, Nep. Con. 4 fin. : templa, Suet. Calig. 60: arcum circi, id. Ner. 25: monumentum, id. Dom. 8; Hor. C. 3, 30, 4: fores ira, Prop. 4 (5), 9, 14: arbusta, Verg. A. 10, 363: regna Priami, Prop. 2, 28, 54 (3, 26, 8 M.); cf. id. 4 (5), 1, 113 et saep.— Absol. : diruit, aedificat, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 100; cf.: nova diruunt, alia aedificant, Sall. C. 20, 12.—Hyperbol.: caelum, Auct. B. Hisp. 42 fin. —
II Transf.: agmina vasto impetu, to drive asunder, scatter , Hor. C. 4, 14, 30: omnia Bacchanalia, i. e. to abolish , Liv. 39, 18.—And in milit. lang.: aere dirutus, qs. ruined in pay, i. e. deprived of pay; said of a soldier whose pay was stopped as a punishment, Varr. ap. Non. 532, 4 sq.; cf. Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 13 Zumpt; cf. also beyond the milit. sphere, and without aere, of a bankrupt: homo diruptus dirutusque, both ruptured and bankrupt , Cic. Phil. 13, 12.