I.to cut off, cut loose, cut or break down; to cut or tear open (freq. and class.).
I. Lit.: “pontem,” i. e. to break down, Caes. B. G. 1, 7; 4, 19 fin.; 6, 29; 7, 35; 7, 58 fin.; Nep. Milt. 3, 4; Liv. 2, 10; Flor. 3, 10, 3: “vallum ac loricam falcibus,” Caes. B. G. 7, 86 fin.: pluteos, Sall. Fragm. ap. Non. 95, 22: “cameras tectorum,” Front. Strat. 3, 4, 6: “tecta domusque in usum novae classis,” Flor. 2, 15, 10: “caelum,” Verg. G. 1, 280; id. A. 6, 583: “tenuem vestem e membris,” Tib. 1, 10, 61: “vestes,” Claud. B. Gild. 136: “decreta,” Suet. Calig. 3: “ense teli latebram penitus,” to cut open, Verg. A. 12, 390: “vulnera,” Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 63; Flor. 3, 23, 4; Plin. Ep. 7, 19, 9: “pectora ferro,” Stat. Th. 11, 507: “rescisso palato,” Luc. 4, 328: “plagam,” Flor. 4, 2, 72: “venam,” to open, Col. 6, 30, 5; 7, 10, 2; and poet.: “obductos annis luctus,” Ov. M. 12, 543: “an male sarta Gratia nequidquam coit et rescinditur?” Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 32; “imitated by Petronius: ne inter initia coëuntis gratiae recentem cicatricem rescinderet,” Petr. 113, 8.—
B. Meton., to open: “vias,” Lucr. 2,406: “locum praesidiis firmatum atque omni ratione obvallatum,” Cic. Agr. 2, 1, 3: “ferro summum Ulceris os,” Verg. G. 3, 453; Col. 7, 5, 10; cf.: “latentia vitia (corresp. to aperire),” Quint. 9, 2, 93.—
II. Trop., to annul, abolish, abrogate, repeal, rescind a law, decree, agreement, etc.: “mihi non videtur, quod sit factum legibus, Rescindi posse,” Ter. Phorm. 2, 4, 16: “acta M. Antonii rescidistis, leges refixistis,” Cic. Phil. 13, 3, 5; so, “acta,” id. ib. 2, 42, 109; 13, 3, 5; Liv. 26, 31; Suet. Caes. 82; id. Claud. 11; Flor. 3, 23, 2: “acta deūm,” Ov. M. 14, 784: “jussa Jovis,” id. ib. 2, 678: “constitutiones senatūs,” Suet. Tib. 33: “concilia habita,” Cic. Leg. 2, 12, 31: “totam triennii praeturam,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 57, § 140: “rescindere et irritas facere omnes istius injurias,” id. ib. 2, 2, 26, § “63: res judicatas,” id. Sull. 22, 63; cf. “judicium,” id. Planc. 4, 10: “judicia,” Suet. Claud. 29: “ambitiosas Centumvir. sententias,” id. Dom. 8: “pactiones,” Cic. Prov. Cons. 5, 10: “testamenta mortuorum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 43, § 111; Quint. 5, 2, 1; Suet. Calig. 38: “foedus turpe,” Vell. 2, 90, 3.— Poet.: “aevi leges validas,” Lucr. 5, 58: “beneficium suum insequenti injuriā,” Sen. Ben. 3, 13: “verbum Dei,” Vulg. Marc. 7, 13.