abicere

Abicere is a Latin verb meaning to throw away, discard, or cast off; to throw overboard or fling. It is formed from the prefix ab- “away” and the verb iacio “to throw,” and it belongs to the third-conjugation -io class (a -io verb). The principal parts are abicio, abicere, abiēcī, abiectum.

Conjugation and forms: In the present system the active indicative forms are abicio, abicis, abicit, abicimus, abicitis, abiciunt. The imperfect is abiciebam, abiciebas, abiciebat, abiciebamus, abiciebatis, abiciebant. The perfect is abiēcī, abiēcistī, abiēcit, abiēcimus, abiēcistis, abiēcērunt; the future is abiciam, abicies, abiet, abiciēmus, abiciētis, abicient. The supine is abiectum and the perfect passive participle is abiectus (agreeing with gender and number).

Usage: The primary sense is literal throwing away or discarding an object, but it can also be used figuratively to mean to cast off, reject, or abandon something, such as a belief or burden, in Latin prose and poetry. The verb is common in classical authors and appears in legal, religious, and narrative contexts.

Etymology and related forms: Abicio is formed from the prefix ab- meaning away and iacio, reflecting the sense of throwing away. It belongs to the -io verbs with a characteristic internal vowel pattern (notably ie in the imperfect and future forms).

See also: Latin verbs, iacio family, ab- prefix.