prō-pello (prŏpellat, Lucr. 4, 195; 6, 1026), pŭli, pulsum, 3, v. a.
I Lit., to drive before one's self , to drive , push , or urge forward , to drive forth; to hurl , propel , hurl or cast down , to overthrow (class.; syn.: proturbo, protrudo): sacerdotem anum praecipem propulit, Plaut. Rud. 3, 3, 8: oves potum, Varr. R. R. 2, 2: in pabulum, id. ib. 2, 2: aëra prae se, Lucr. 4, 286: propellere ac submovere hostes, Caes. B. G. 4, 25: hostem a castris, Liv. 7, 24: nubes, Gell. 2, 22, 24: in profundum e scopulo corpora, Ov. M. 8, 593: hastam, Sil. 16, 571: urbem, to overthrow , Val. Fl. 6, 383: muros Oechaliae, to throw down , Sen. Herc. Oet. 162; cf.: orationem propellere dialecticorum remis, Cic. Tusc. 4, 5, 9: si paulo largius L. Caecilium pietas et fraternus amor propulisset, id. Sull. 23, 64.—
II Trop.
A To push or thrust forward (post-Aug.): cruda studia in forum, Petr. 4.—
B To drive on , impel , incite , urge (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): corpus, Lucr. 3, 160: terrore carceris ad voluntariam mortem, Tac. A. 11, 2: agmina voce, Sil. 7, 530.—
C To drive away , to keep or ward off : periculum vitae ab aliquo, Liv. 40, 11 fin. : famem, Hor. S. 1, 2, 6: injurias hominum ac ferarum, Col. 7, 12, 2.