Decerpo, decerpis, decerpsi, decerptum, decérpere. To pullor plucke off: to pull somewhat away: to diminish: to gather as flowers and fruits are. vt, Decerpere vuam. Plin. ium. To gather grapes.Fœtus arborum.Plin. iun.Folia. Col. Nouos flores. Lucr. To gather.Fructus ex re aliqua. Hor. To take or receiue profite of.Adducto ramo pomum decerpere.Ouid.To plucke.Affectat decerpere decus pugnæ. Sil. Murmura vocis decerpere.Stat.To heare the noise of ones voice. Decerpere ex dignitate alterius.Plin. iun.To plucke away or diminish some parte of ones honour.Nihil sibi ex ista laude Centurio decerpit.Cic.Diminisheth none for his parte.Nequid iocus de grauitate decerperet.Cicer.That pleasant scoffing might not take away or diminish any parte of the grauitie.Ex causa in vsum decerpere, quæ maximè fauorabilia videntur. Quint. To take into vse.Spes magnas decerpit inuidia. Quint.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
dē-cerpo, psi, ptum, 3, v. a. [carpo], to pluck off, to tear, pull, or break off, to crop, gather (class.; most freq. in the poets.—Constr., usually aliquid ex aliqua re; less freq. aliquid de aliqua re). I.Lit.: acina de uvis decerpito, Cato R. R. 112, 3: novos flores, Lucr. 1, 927; 4, 3; cf.: undique decerptam fronti praeponere olivam, Hor. Od. 1, 7, 7: arbore pomum, Ov. M. 5, 536; cf. id. Pont. 3, 5, 19; and auricomos fetus arbore, Verg. A. 6, 141: praetenuia fila ex abietibus, Plin. 16, 31, 56, 128; lilia tenero ungui, Prop. 1, 20, 39; cf.: pollice florem, Ov. F. 5, 255; and aurea poma manu mea, id. M. 10, 649; Val. Max. 2, 8, 5: herbas, Ov. M. 1, 645: ficum, Juv. 14, 253 et saep.—Absol.: floret (thymum) circa solstitia, cum et apes decerpunt, Plin. 21, 10, 31, 56; Catull. 64, 316.—II.Trop.: quae (omnia) nisi cotidie decerpantur arescunt, Quint. 12, 10, 79: humanus animus decerptus ex mente divina, Cic. Tusc. 5, 13, 38; cf. Quint. 4, 1, 23: ne quid jocus de gravitate decerperet, Cic. de Or. 2, 56, 229: quarum (materiarum) nunc facillima decerpunt, Quint. 10, 5, 21.—Poet.: oscula mordenti semper decerpere rostro, Catull. 68, 127 (cf.: carpo, no. II. 1); for which, ora puellae, Verg. Cop. 33 Sillig.—Hence, B.Transf.1. (Acc. to carpo, no. II. 1.) To enjoy: ex re fructus, Hor. S. 1, 2, 79: primas noctes tecum epulis, Pers. 5, 43: murmura vocis, Stat. Th. 6, 165: decus primae pugnae, Sil. 4, 138; cf.: nihil sibi ex ista laude centurio decerpit, Cic. Marc. 2, 7: mulieres, Vulg. Baruch, 6, 27.—2. (Acc. to carpo, no. II. 1.) To destroy: quae (invidia) spes tantas decerpat, Quint. 6 prooem. 10; cf.: illibatam virginitatem, Sen. Contr. 1, 2 med.