ἀποσπάω

A. tear or drag away from, τινός S. Aj. 1024, Pl. R. 491b, etc.; ἀ. τινὰ ἀπὸ γυναικὸς καὶ τέκνων Hdt. 3.1, cf. 102; ἀποσπάσας. . περόνας ἀπ’ αὐτῆς S. OT 1268; μή μου τὸ τέκνον ἐκ χερῶν ἀποσπάσῃς E. Hec. 277: rarely ἀ. τινά τι tear a thing from one, S. OC 866; ἀ. τινά tear him away, Hdt. 6.91; ἀ. τι τῆς λείας detach, abstract some of it, Plb. 2.26.8: metaph., ἀ. τινὰ ἐλπίδος S. OT 1432; and reversely also ἀ. τῆς φρενὸς αἵ μοι μόναι παρῆσαν ἐλπίδων Id. El. 809; detach, withdraw, πλήρωμα a gang of labourers, PPetr. 3p.129 (iii B.C.); τινὰ ἀπό τινος BGU 1125.9 (i B.C.), cf. infr. 5; μαθητάς Act.Ap. 20.30; ἀ. πολίτας τῆς θαλάσσης Plu. Them. 19; ἀπὸ τοῦ φρονεῖν τινά Ar. Ra. 962:—Med., τὴν μάχην οὕτω μακρὰν τῆς ναυτικῆς βοηθείας Plu. Pomp. 76:—Pass., to be dragged away, detached, separated from, τινός Pi. P. 9.33, E. Alc. 287, etc.; ἐξ ἱροῦ Hdt. 1.160; ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερῶν Th. 3.81; of a bone, to be torn off, Hp. Art. 13; ἀκρώμιον ‐σπασθέν Id. Mochl. 6.

2. ἀ. τινὰ κόμης drag away by the hair, A. Supp. 909.

3. ἀ. πύλας, θύρας, tear off the gates, doors, Hdt. 1.17, 3.159, etc.: metaph., πινακηδὸν ἀποσπῶν [ῥήματα] Ar. Ra. 824.

4. ἀ. τὸ στρατόπεδον draw off, divert the army, X. HG 1.3.17: abs., ἀποσπάσας having drawn off, Id. An. 7.2.11:—Pass., of troops, to become separated or broken, Th. 7.80, Plb. 1.27.9.

5. withdraw, reclaim, POxy. 496.9.

6. ἀπεσπασμένος,ὁ, eunuch, LXX Le. 22.24.

II. intr. (sc. ἑαυτόν), separate (i.e. be separated) from, Ael. NA 10.48, Luc. Icar. 11, D.C. 56.22; and in X. An. 1.5.3 the best Mss. give πολὺ γὰρ ἀπέσπα (for ἀπέπτα)φεύγουσα [στρουθός].