ob-rŭo, ŭi, ŭtum, 3 (inf. pres. pass. OBRI for obrui, Inscr. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 341; v. in the foll. I. B. 1.), v. a. (n. Lucr. 3, 775; v. infra), to overwhelm, overthrow, strike down; to cover, cover over with any thing; also to hide in the ground, bury by heaping over (class.; cf.: opprimo, subruo).
I Lit.
A In gen.: aliquem caestu, Stat. Ach. 1, 191: concidit, et totis fratrem gravis obruit armis, id. Th. 11, 573; Verg. A. 5, 692: confossus undique obruitur, Curt. 8, 11: ranae marinae dicuntur obruere sese harenā solere, bury themselves in the sand , Cic. N. D. 2, 49, 125: thesaurum, to bury , id. Sen. 7, 21: ova, to hide in the earth , id. N. D. 2, 52, 129: aegros veste, to cover , Plin. 26, 3, 8, § 16: oceanum rubra tractim obruit aethra, covered , Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 4 (Ann. v. 418 Vahl.); so, terram nox obruit umbris, Lucr. 6, 864.—
B In partic., to bury, inter a dead body (perh. only post-Aug.), Tac. A. 1, 29 fin. : cadaver levi caespite obrutum est, Suet. Calig. 59: cujus ossa in Vulcanali obruta sunt, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. statua, p. 290 Müll.: QVOD SE VOLVIT OBRI. Inscr. Marin. Fratr. Arv. p. 341.—
2 To sink in the sea, cover with water : puppes, Verg. A. 1, 69: quos Obruit Auster, overwhelmed, sunk , id. ib. 6, 336: navem, Dig. 9, 2, 29: obrutus adulter aquis, Ov. H. 1, 6: obruerit cum tot deus aequoris undis, id. P. 3, 6, 29: vultus, id. Tr. 1, 2, 34: Aegyptum Nilus, Cic. N. D. 2, 52.—
C To sow seed; cover with earth : semina terrā, Ov. R. Am. 173: milium, Col. 11, 2, 72: lupinum, id. 11, 2, 81: betam, id. 11, 3, 42.—
D To overload, surfeit with any thing: se vino, Cic. Deiot. 9. —
II Trop.
A To overwhelm, bury, conceal, put out of sight, abolish, consign to oblivion : ut adversā quasi perpetuā oblivione obruamus, Cic. Fin. 1, 17, 57; cf.: ea quae umquam vetustas obruet aut quae tanta delebit oblivio? id. Deiot. 13, 37; and: (sermo) nec umquam de ullo perennis fuit, et obruitur hominum interitu, id. Rep. 6, 23, 25: talis viri interitu sex suos obruere consulatus, to dim, cloud, destroy the glory of six consulships , id. Tusc. 5, 19, 56.—
2 Neutr. : et domus aetatis spatio ne fessa vetusto obruat, i. e. fall to ruin , Lucr. 3, 775.—
B To overwhelm, overload, weigh down, oppress with any thing: criminibus obrutus atque oppressus, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 7, § 20; so, copiā sententiarum atque verborum, id. Tusc. 2, 1, 3: ambitione, et foro, id. de Or. 1, 21, 94: aere alieno, id. Att. 2, 1, 11; cf. faenore, Liv. 6, 14; 35, 7: magnitudine negotii, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1, § 4.—
C To overcome, overpower, surpass, eclipse, obscure : famam alicujus, Tac. Agr. 17: obruimur numero, are outnumbered , Verg. A. 2, 424: obruit Idaeam quantum tuba Martia buxum, Val. Fl. 1, 320: M. Brutus Vatinium dignatione obruerat, Vell. 2, 69: Venus Nymphas obruit, Stat. Ach. 1, 293.