dī-lacero, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to tear to pieces, to tear apart (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose). Lit.: dilaceranda feris dabor, * Cat. 64, 152; cf. Ov. H. 12, 116: dominum (canes), id. M. 3, 250: natum, id. H. 11, 112: muliebre corpus tormentis, Tac. A. 15, 57: aliquid (spiculā), to lacerate, wound, Cels. 7, 5, 2: leonem, Vulg. Judic. 14, 6.

— Trop.: annum integrum ad dilacerandam rem publicam quaerere, Cic. Mil. 9, 24: res publica dilacerata, Sall. J. 41, 5 Kritz. (prob. an imitation of Thuc. 3, 82 fin.): malis consultis animus dilaceratur, Tac. A. 6, 6 fin.; cf. opes, Ov. H. 1, 90 Loers.: gentem, Vulg. Isa. 18, 2: (dilaceravisti, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 14 Fleck.; others, delac-).