ex-plĭco, āvi and ŭi (the latter first in Verg. G. 2, 280; afterwards freq.; Hor. C. 3, 29, 16; 4, 9, 44; id. S. 2, 2, 125; Liv. 7, 23, 6 et saep.; cf. Gell. 1, 7, 20), ātum or ĭtum (Cic. uses mostly atum, Caes. atum and itum; cf. explicaturos, Caes. B. C. 1, 78, 4; with explicitis, id. ib. 3, 75, 2; and, explicitius, id. ib. 1, 78, 2; upon these forms v. Neue, Formenl. 2, pp. 479 sq., 550 sq.), 1, v. a., to unfold, uncoil, unroll, unfurl, spread out, loosen, undo (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. sense; syn.: expedio, extrico, enodo, enucleo; explano, expono, interpretor).
I Lit.: velum, Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 7: non explicata veste neque proposito argento, etc., spread out , Cic. de Or. 1, 35, 161: volumen, to open , id. Rosc. Am. 35, 101: suas pennas (ales), Ov. Am. 2, 6, 55: plenas plagas, Mart. 1, 56, 8: perturbatum et confusum agmen, to put in order , Hirt. B. G. 8, 14, 2: capillum pectine, Varr. L. L. 5, § 129 Müll.: fusos, to unwind , Mart. 4, 54, 10: frontem sollicitam, to free from wrinkles , to smooth , Hor. C. 3, 29, 16; for which: explicare seria contractae frontis, id. S. 2, 2, 125; cf. mare, i. e. to calm , Sen. Herc. Oet. 455: si ex his te laqueis exueris ac te aliqua via ac ratione explicaris, hast extricated , freed thyself , Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 58, § 151: se (ex funibus ancorarum), Dig. 9, 2, 29: inimicae et oves, difficile se (apibus) e lanis earum explicantibus, Plin. 11, 18, 19, § 62: se explicat angustum, Juv. 12, 55.—
B Transf., to spread out , stretch out , extend , deploy , display : aciem, Liv. 7, 23, 6; 40, 4, 4; 40, 5, 26 al.; cf. ordinem, id. 2, 46, 3: agmen, id. 10, 20, 3: cohortes (longa legio), Verg. G. 2, 280: se turmatim (equites), Caes. B. C. 3, 93, 3; cf. mid.: priusquam plane legiones explicari et consistere possent, id. ib. 2, 26, 4; and: ut ordo omnium navium explicari posset, Liv. 37, 23, 10: per obstantis catervas Explicuit sua victor arma, Hor. C. 4, 9, 44: atria, congestos satis explicatura clientes, Stat. Th. 1, 146: ut forum laxaremus et usque ad atrium Libertatis explicaremus, extend , Cic. Att. 4, 16, 14; cf.: unde pons in oppidum pertinens explicatur, Sall. H. 3, 20: orbes (serpens), Ov. M. 15, 720: frondes omnes (pampinus), Verg. G. 2, 335: se (montes), Plin. 5, 29, 31, § 118: arida ligna in flammas (ignis), Lucr. 2, 882: convivium, i. e. to set out richly , to furnish , Mart. 1, 100, 13: explicavi meam rem post illa lucro, i. e. amplified , enlarged , Plaut. Poen. 3, 5, 5.
II Trop.
A In gen. (very seldom): explica atque excute intelligentiam tuam, ut videas quae sit, etc., display , Cic. Off. 3, 20, 81: Siciliam multis undique cinctam periculis explicavit, has set at large , set free (qs. released from toils, snares), id. de Imp. Pomp. 11, 30; cf.: quemadmodum se explicent dicendo, id. Fl. 4, 10: da operam, ut te explices, huc quam primum venias, Pompei. ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12, D. 2.—
B In partic.
1 To disentangle , set in order , arrange , regulate , settle , adjust any thing complicated or difficult: pulcre ego hanc explicatam tibi rem dabo, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 20: peto a te, ut ejus negotia explices et expedias, Cic. Fam. 13, 26, 2: negotia, id. Att. 5, 12, 3; cf. id. ib. 16, 3, 5: belli rationem, id. Prov. Cons. 14, 35; cf.: rationem salutis, id. Fam. 6, 1, 2: rem frumentariam, Hirt. B. G. 8, 4 fin. : si Faberius nobis nomen illud explicat, noli quaerere, quanti, settles , i. e. pays that item , Cic. Att. 13, 29, 2: Faberianum, id. ib. § 3; cf.: si qui debitores, quia non possint explicare pecuniam, differant solutionem, Dig. 42, 1, 31: consilium, Caes. B. C. 1, 78, 4; cf.: his explicitis rebus, id. ib. 3, 75, 2: subvenire tempestati quavis ratione sapientis est; eoque magis, si plus adipiscare re explicatā boni, quam addubitatā mali, Cic. Off. 1, 24, 83: ea, quae per defunctum inchoata sunt, per heredem explicari debent, Dig. 27, 7, 1: transii ad elegos: hos quoque feliciter explicui, Plin. Ep. 7, 4, 7 (cf. under ☞): iter commode explicui, excepto quod, etc., Plin. Ep. 8, 1, 1: fugam, Phaedr. 4, 7, 15: nihilo plus explicet ac si Insanire paret, etc., will make no more out of it , Hor. S. 2, 3, 270.—
2 Of speech, to develop , unfold , set forth , exhibit , treat , state : vitam alterius totam explicare, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 8, 27: perfice, ut Crassus haec, quae coartavit et peranguste refersit in oratione sua, dilatet nobis atque explicet, id. de Or. 1, 35, 163: explicando excutiendoque verbo, id. Part. Or. 36, 124: aliquid expedite, id. Brut. 67, 237: aliquid apertissime planissimeque, id. Verr. 2, 2, 64, § 156: aliquid definitione, id. Fin. 3, 10, 33: funera fando, Verg. A. 2, 362: philosophiam, Cic. Div. 2, 2, 6; cf.: philosophiam diligentissime Graecis litteris, id. Ac. 1, 2, 4: summorum oratorum Graecas orationes, id. de Or. 1, 34, 155: geometricum quiddam aut physicum aut dialecticum (corresp. to expedire), id. Div. 2, 59, 122: non de aegritudine solum, sed de omni animi perturbatione explicabo, id. Tusc. 3, 6, 13: de scorpionibus et catapultis, Vitr. 10, 22: ut explicemus, quae sint materiae, etc., Quint. 10, 5, 1.— Pass. impers. : quae vero auxilia sunt capitis, eo loco explicitum est, Cels. 4, 2.—Hence,
1 explĭcātus , a, um, P. a.
A Lit., spread out : Capua planissimo in loco explicata, Cic. Agr. 2, 35, 96: vallis, Pall. Aug. 11, 2.—
B Trop.
1 Well ordered , regular : in causa facili atque explicata, Cic. Planc. 2, 5.—
2 Plain , clear : nisi explicata solutione non sum discessurus, Cic. Att. 15, 20, 4.— Comp. : litterae tuae, quibus nihil potest esse explicatius, nihil perfectius, Cic. Att. 9, 7, 2.— Sup. : explicatissima responsa, Aug. Ep. 34 fin. —
3 Assured , certain : nec habet explicatam aut exploratam rationem salutis suae, Cic. Fam. 6, 1, 2.—* Adv.: explĭ-cāte , plainly , clearly : qui distincte, qui explicate, qui abundanter et rebus et verbis dicunt, Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 53.— Comp. : explicatius, August. Civ. D. 19, 4.—
2 explĭ-cĭtus , a, um, P. a. (acc. to II. B. 1.), lit., disentangled , i. e. free from obstacles , easy : in his erat angustiis res: sed ex propositis consiliis duobus explicitius videbatur, Ilerdam reverti, Caes. B. C. 1, 78, 2.☞ explĭcit , in late Lat., at the end of a book, is prob. an abbreviation of explicitus (est liber), the book is ended (acc. to signif. II. B. 1.); cf.: explicitum nobis usque ad sua cornua librum refers, Mart. 11, 107, 1: solemus completis opusculis ad distinctionem rei alterius sequentis medium interponere Explicit aut Feliciter aut aliquid istius modi, Hier. Ep. 28, 4.