lĕvo, āvi, ātum, 1 (old form of fut. perf. levasso, Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 1, 1), v. a. [1. levis], to lift up, raise, elevate (syn.: extollo, erigo).
I Lit. (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): ter sese attollens cubitoque annixa levavit, Verg. A. 4, 690: se de caespite, to rise , Ov. M. 2, 427: se saxo, id. F. 4, 528: cum se matura levarit progenies (avium), Juv. 14, 83: apis se confestim levat sublimius, Col. 9, 12, 1; Plin. 2, 16, 13, § 69; 36, 16, 24, § 122: per hiemem, quae altius levat Alpes, i. e. by the snow, Flor. 3, 3, 11.—
B Transf.
1 To make lighter, lighten, to relieve, ease : cantantes ut eamus, ego te fasce levabo, Verg. E. 9, 65: serpentum colla levavit, i. e. alighted from the dragon-car , Ov. M. 8, 798: dentes, to clean the teeth , Mart. 14, 22: vesicam, Spart. Carac. 7: jactatur rerum utilium pars maxima, sed nec damna levant, do not lighten the ship , Juv. 12, 53.—
2 To take away, take : furcā levat ille bicorni sordida terga suis, takes down , Ov. M. 8, 647: alicui manicas atque arcta Vincla, Verg. A. 2, 146: tributum, to raise, levy , Dig. 50, 15, 4, § 2.—
II Trop., to lighten, relieve, console, refresh, support a person or thing with any thing (freq. and class.). —Of a personal object: non nihil enim me levant tuae litterae hoc tempore, Cic. Att. 11, 8, 1.—Of things as objects: O Tite, si quid te adjuero curamve levasso, Enn. ap. Cic. de Sen. 1, 1 (Ann. v. 339 Vahl.); so, auxilio viros, Verg. A. 2, 452; 4, 538: curam et angorem animi sermone et consilio, Cic. Att. 1, 18, 1: molestias, id. Fam. 4, 3, 2: fonte sitim, to slake , Ov. Tr. 4, 8, 26: arida ora aqua, to refresh , id. R. Am. 230; so, membra gramine, id. F. 6, 328.— Pass. : levantur tamen miserae civitates, quod nullus fit sumptus in nos, Cic. Att. 5, 16, 3.—
B Transf.
1 To lighten, lessen, alleviate, mitigate (cf.: laxo, libero): meam egestatem, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 62: alicui paupertatem, id. Ep. 4, 1, 33: morbum, id. Mil. 4, 6, 57: inopiam multum, Caes. B. C. 3, 48, 1: salutari arte fessos Corporis artus, Hor. C. S. 63: morbi vim levaturus, Curt. 3, 6, 2: levavitque apertis horreis pretia frugum, reduced , Tac. A. 2, 59: vario viam sermone, Verg. A. 8, 309: injurias, Caes. B. C. 1, 9: suspicionem, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 59, § 136: ut sumptus levaretur, Plin. Ep. 10, 43 (52), 2: calamitatem innocentium, Cic. Rosc. Am. 3, 7: his levabat omnem vulnerum metum nobilitas mortis, id. Tusc. 2, 24, 59: qui paupertatem levet propinqui, Juv. 14, 236.—
2 To lessen, diminish, weaken, impair : cave lassitudo poplitum cursum levet, Att. ap. Non. 336, 29: laudem alicujus, id. ib. 31: inconstantiā levatur auctoritas, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 22, 69: multa fidem promissa levant, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 10.—
3 To relieve, release, discharge, free from any thing.
α With abl.: leva me hoc onere, Cic. Fam. 3, 12, 3: aliquem miseriis, id. ib. 3, 8: me molestia, id. ib. 16, 9, 2: aliquem metu, Liv. 2, 22: animos religione, id. 21, 62; cf.: qui hac opinione non modo verbis, sed etiam opere levandi sunt, Cic. Lael. 20, 72: ut homines populares supplicio aut exsilio levarentur, id. Verr. 2, 5, 6, § 13: se aere alieno, id. Att. 6, 2, 4: se infamiā, id. Verr. 2, 3, 61, § 141: se vitā, Varr. ap. Non. 336, 33.—*
β With gen.: ut me omnium jam laborum levas, Plaut. Rud. 1, 4, 27.—
4 To avert : omen, Verg. A. 3, 36: ictum dextra, Hor. C. 2, 17, 28.