ex-solvo, solvi, sŏlūtum, 3 (per diaeresin exsolŭātur, Lucr. 1, 811: exsolŭïsse, Ov. F. 4, 534; cf. solvo, init.), v. a., to loose, unloose, to unbind, untie, undo (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose). I.Lit.A. In gen.: nexus, Lucr. 1, 220: Am. Agedum, eam solve cistulam. So. Quid ego istam exsolvam? undo, unseal, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 152: properans exsolvi restim, id. Rud. 2, 3, 37: catenas Caecinae, Tac. H. 3, 31: vincula, id. A. 3, 33; id. H. 3, 12: pugionem a latere,
to ungird
, id. H. 3, 68: venas praebere exsolvendas,
to be opened
, id. A. 4, 22; 11, 3; 16, 17: brachia ferro eodem ictu, id. ib. 15, 63: amictus,
to pull off
, Stat. S. 1, 5, 53: venenum exsoluta alvo transmisit, i. e.
in a flux
,
diarrhœa
, Tac. A. 13, 15.—Of an inanimate subject: (ignis) exsolvit glaciem,
dissolves
,
melts
, Lucr. 6, 878.—B. In partic. 1.To set loose, release, deliver, free (mostly poet.): aliquem vinclis, Plaut. Truc. 4, 3, 10; so, exsolutus vinculis, Suet. Ner. 49: jube sis me exsolvi cito, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 8, 16 sq.: sese e nervis (animae), Lucr. 3, 696; cf. id. 1, 811: se paulatim corpore (said of one dying), Verg. A. 11, 829: quo (sanguine), Tac. H. 5, 6.—2. In mercant. lang. (qs. to free from obligation, v. solvo, to discharge, pay a debt): nomina mea, per deos, expedi, exsolve (for which, shortly after: hoc quod debeo plane expedias et solutum relinquas), Cic. Att. 16, 6, 3: aes alienum, Plin. Ep. 3, 11, 2: pretium, Plaut. Men. 5, 6, 26: multiplicem sortem, Liv. 6, 14, 7: dotem uxori, Aur. Vict. Vir. Ill. 56: legata, Tac. A. 1, 36 fin. et saep. —II.Trop.A. In gen., to throw off, lay aside, rid one's self of a thing: legis nexus, Tac. A. 3, 28 fin.: metus, i. e.
to lay aside
, Luc. 5, 259: pudorem, Stat. Ach. 1, 565: robur peditum ad exsolvendum obsidium ducit, i. e.
to raise
, Tac. A. 3, 39.— B. In partic. 1.To release, free from any thing: animum artis nodis religionum, Lucr. 1, 932; 4, 7: animos religione, Liv. 8, 9, 13: populum religione, id. 3, 20, 4: se occupationibus, Cic. Fam. 7, 1, 5: aliquem errore, suspicione, Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 26: aliquem aere alieno, Liv. 6, 14, 11: curis, Verg. A. 4, 652: sollicitudine, Plin. Ep. 1, 22, 11: contumeliā, Tac. A. 13, 36: poenā, id. ib. 14, 12: custode, id. ib. 12, 46 et saep.—2.To discharge, pay a debt or an obligation: de tertio genere se scripsit dicturum, nec exsolvit quod promiserat,