I.v. a., to rub away, to wear away, to wear out (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic. or Caes.).
I. Prop.: “strataque jam volgi pedibus detrita viarum saxea,” Lucr. 1, 315: “a catena collum detritum cani,” Phaedr. 3, 7, 16; so, “vestem usu,” Plin. 8, 48, 73, § 191; cf.: “detrita tegmina,” Tac. A. 1, 18: “aurum usu,” Plin. 33, 3, 19: “pedes (viă longă),” Tib. 1, 9, 16: “frumenta,” to thresh out, Col. 1, 6, 23; cf. “milium,” id. 6, 12, 4: “scillam,” id. 6, 27, 10: “telephion,” Plin. 27, 13, 110, § 137: “calces deteris,” you tread on my heels, Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 111.—
II. Trop., to diminish in force, to lessen, weaken, impair: “laudes Caesaris culpă ingeni,” Hor. Od. 1, 6, 12: “aliquid velut usu ipso,” Quint. 2, 4, 7: “fulgorem,” id. 10, 5, 16: “si quid ardoris ac ferociae miles habuit, deteritur, etc.,” Tac. H. 2, 76 fin.: “ab alio genere vitae detriti jam,” Gell. 15, 30, 1: “quantum detritum est famae,” Sil. 7, 247: “detrita bellis Suessa,” id. 8, 399: “detereret sibi multa Lucilius,” would polish his verses, Hor. S. 1, 10, 69 (cf. just before, v. 65, limatior).—Absol.: “nimia cura deterit magis quam emendat,” Plin. Ep. 9, 35 fin.— Hence, * dētrītus , a, um, P. a., worn out, trite, hackneyed (for which in Cic. contritus): “illa in agendis causis jam detrita,” Quint. 8, 6, 51.
