prō-tĕro, trīvi, trītum, 3, v. a. *
I To drive forth , drive away : ver proterit aestas Interitura, i. e. supplants , Hor. C. 4, 7, 9.—
II To tread under foot , trample down , wear away , crush , bruise (class.; syn. proculco).
A Lit.: aliquem pedibus, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 13: homines elephantis proterendos substravit, Val. Max. 2, 7, 14: januam limā, i. e. to destroy , Plaut. Men. 1, 1, 9: equitatus aversos proterere incipit, Caes. B. C. 2, 41: agmina curru, Verg. A. 12, 330: florentia arva, Ov. M. 2, 791: adversum rota proterit agmen, Sil. 2, 175: ulmus labens proterit uvas, Stat. Th. 8, 747: seges torrefacta proteritur, Col. 2, 21, 3.—
B Transf., in gen., to overthrow , beat , crush , defeat , destroy : Marte Poenos, Hor. C. 3, 5, 34: protrita hostium acies, Tac. H. 2, 26: aliquem proterere et conculcare, to maltreat , abuse , trample upon , Cic. Fl. 22, 53; cf.: pati urbem proteri atque conculcari, Auct. Her. 4, 53, 66: ruinā suā proteri, Vell. 2, 91, 4: umbram, Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 25: omnia ferro, Just. 24, 4, 6: barbaram plebem, Amm. 15, 4, 12.
V —Hence, prōtrītus , a, um, P.a., worn out (by rubbing); hence, of words, of frequent use , common , trite , vulgar (post-class.): verba, Gell. 5, 21, 4; 12, 2, 1; 18, 4, 6.