dē-sisto, stiti, stitum, 3 (perf. destiterunt, Lucr. 4, 975), v. a. and n. (for syn. v. desino init.). Act., to set down: in scopulo puellam, Ap. M. 4, p. 157 (Anthol. Lat. 3, 174, 1).

— Neutr. To stand off from a thing, to stand apart: quid tu tristis es? quid illa autem abs te irata destitit? Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 59.

— Hence, of an action, to leave off, cease, give over, desist from (freq. and class.).

—Constr. with de, ab, or simple abl., the dat., the inf., quin, and absol. (in class. prose most freq. with the simple abl., or with the inf.): verbo de sententia destitisti, Cic. Tusc. 2, 12, 28: de illa mente, id. Fam. 5, 2, 8: de petitione, Liv. 37, 58, 1: de diutina contentione, Nep. Timoth. 2: a defensione, Caes. B. C. 2, 12, 4; Liv. 38, 28, 9: ab oppugnatione, Sall. J. 25 fin.: ab operibus suis, Vulg. Sirach, 16, 27: hoc conatu, Caes. B. G. 1, 8 fin.: conatu, id. B. C. 3, 26, 3: oppugnatione, id. B. G. 6, 39, 4; id. B. C. 2, 13: consilio, id. B. G. 7, 26 fin.: negotio, id. ib. 1, 45: itinere, id. ib. 5, 11: fuga, id. ib. 4, 12, 2 (with fugere, id. ib. 1, 53, v. the foll.): sententia, id. ib. 6, 4, 2; Cic. Off. 3, 3 fin.: causa, id. ib. 3, 31, 112: impio bello, Liv. 7, 40: incepto, id. 7, 5, 6; 25, 2, 7; Verg. A. 1, 37.

—With dat., poet.: pugnae, id. ib. 10, 441: labori, Stat. Th. 5, 273.

—With inf.: regem flagitare, Cic. Rep. 2, 12: de isdem scribere, id. Fin. 1, 2, 6 fin.: locupletare cives, id. ib. 2, 9: causas agere, id. Brut. 91, 314: mortem timere, id. Tusc. 1, 49, 117: pecuniam polliceri, Caes. B. G. 6, 2: Inachia furere, Hor. Epod. 11, 5: persequi aliquem, Vulg. 1 Reg. 23, 28 et saep.

—With quin: neque, eam quin inveniam, desistam, Plaut. Rud. 1, 4, 9; Vatin. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 10.

—Absol.: desiste; recte ego rem meam sapio, Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 81; Lucr. 5, 825; Caes. B. G. 2, 11 fin.; Hor. S. 1, 3, 3 et saep.: ter in primo destitit ore sonus, stuck in my throat, Ov. H. 4, 8; cf. id. F. 2, 823: desistente auctumno, i. e. coming to a close, Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 8.