dissŏlūtĭo, ōnis, f. [dissolvo], a dissolving, destroying, breaking up, dissolution (good prose).
I Lit.: navigii, Tac. A. 14, 5: naturae (mors), Cic. Leg. 1, 11; id. Fin. 5, 11, 31; cf. id. ib. 2, 31: stomachi, i. e. looseness , Plin. 20, 22, 91, § 248.—
II Trop.
A In gen., an abolishing , a destruction : legum omnium, Cic. Phil. 1, 9: imperii, Tac. A. 13, 50.— Absol. , ruin , Vulg. Isa. 8, 22.
B In partic.
1 A reply , refutation : criminum, Cic. Clu. 1, 3; cf. Auct. Her. 1, 3, 4.—
2 (Acc. to dissolutus, A.) As rhet. t. t., want of connection , interruption : constructio verborum tum conjunctionibus copuletur, tum dissolutionibus relaxetur, Cic. Part. 6, 21; cf. Quint. 9, 3, 50; Auct. Her. 4, 30.—
3 (Acc. to dissolutus, B.) Of character, looseness , i. e. weakness , effeminacy , frivolity; dissoluteness : si humanitas appellanda est in acerbissima injuria (sc. vindicanda) remissio animi ac dissolutio, Cic. Fam. 5, 2, 9; so, judiciorum, id. Verr. 2, 4, 59 fin. ; Treb. Pol. XXX. Tyr. 23: dissolutio et languor, Sen. Ep. 3 fin. ; cf. animorum, id. Cons. Sap. 4.