Prosterno, prosternis, prostráui, prostrâtum, pen. prod. prosternere. Salust.To ouerthrowe: to vanquishe in battaile.Humi aliquem prosternere.Ouid.Telo prostrauir virum.Val. Flac.Prosternunt acies, proterunt armatos. Pli. Prosternere corpora humi. Li. To lay bodies along vpon the ground.Flores prosternere.Stat.To strewe or spreade flowers.Hostem ferro prosternere. Sil. Wyth his weapon to strike downe his enimie.Oppida prosternere fragore. Si. With the noise of it to ouer throwe townes.Syluam prosternere.Ouid.To cut downe a wood. Prosternere in terram vineas. Col. To lay vines along vpon the ground. Viribus suis prosterni. Quint. Interdum datiuum habet cum accusatiuo. vt, Non sine suspicione prostratæ regi pudicitiæ. Sueto. Not without suspition that she had suffered the king to abuse hir in bodily pleasure. Perfregit ac prostrauit omnia cupiditate ac furore.Cicer.He did violently breake and beare downe, &c.Nónne manifestum est tuis virtutibus, tuisq; laudibus mareriem campumque prosterni? Pli. iun. It is not euident that matter and opportunitie is ministred to you to exercise your noble vertue and get renowne or praise.Opes regni prosternere. Sil. Prosternere atque obterere obtrectationes maleuolorum.Vatinius ad Cic.To onercome and treade vnder foote the malicious detractions of enemies and ill willers.Ille se ad meos pedes prostrauit lachrymans.Cicer.Hee fell downe at my feete weeping.Abijcere se atque prosternere.Cicer.To debase himselfe as an abiect.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
prō-sterno, strāvi, strātum, 3, v. a., to strew in front of, to strew before one; also, to throw to the ground, throw down, overthrow, prostrate (syn.: fundo, profligo, provolvo). I.Lit.: eo prosternebant folia farferi, Plaut. Poen. 2, 31 (al. praesternebant): ceteros ruerem ... et prosternerem, Ter. Ad. 3, 2, 21: pondere silvam, Ov. M. 8, 776: prostraturus humi corpus, Curt. 8, 5, 6; cf. Liv. 9, 6: se ad pedes alicujus, Cic. Phil. 2, 18, 45; so, prosternere se et supplicare alicui, id. Planc. 20, 50: his auditis prostraverant se omnes humi, Liv. 45, 20, 9: hostem prostravit, fudit, occidit, Cic. Phil. 14, 10, 27: hostem ferro, Sil. 7, 397: legio prosternitur latis arvis, Val. Fl. 6, 508: telo virum, id. ib. 3, 185: lapsu equi prostratus, Tac. H. 4, 34.—II.Trop.1.To throw to the ground, to overthrow, subvert, ruin, destroy, etc. (freq. and class.): omnia cupiditate ac furore, Cic. Clu. 6, 15; 31, 70; cf.: jacet ille nunc prostratus, id. Cat. 2, 1, 2; and: afflicta ct prostrata virtus, id. de Or. 2, 52, 211; id. Leg. 2, 17, 42: malevolorum obtrectationes, Vatin. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 9, 1: mores civitatis, Plin. 36, 15, 24, 113: carminum studium, Tac. Or 11: se prosternere, to demean or debase one's self, Cic. Par. 1, 14: prostrata est Philisthaea omnis, Vulg. Isa. 14, 31.—2.To prostitute, Suet. Caes. 2; id. Tib. 35; id. Calig. 24; Just. 12, 7, 11; Arn. 2, 73 (in Plin Pan. 31 the true read. is praesterni).