English → Latin
“disable” in Latin
dēbilitōto cripple or maim; to debilitate, unnerve, disable or weakenīnfirmōto weaken, enfeeble, deprive of strength; to invalidate, disprove, disputeēnervōto remove the nerves and sinews; to enervate, weaken; to make effeminateexarmōto disarm; to unrigmembrumlimb of the body; member.; the penis (membrum virīle); a portion, divisionVelleiusof or pertaining to the gens Velleia.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
disable
debilitare (to weaken; membra, Cic.; the enemy, opes adversariorum, Nep.). (The words are found in this connection and order.) affligere et debilitare: infirmare: enervare [SYN. in WEAKEN, Vid:] : alicui facultatem aliquid faciendi eripere; aliquem prohibere, quominus aliquid faciat (disable him to do something): aliquem omnibus membris debilem facere (Sen.; of maiming him bodily): exarmare (Velleius; victis afflictisque ipsi exarmati - civitatem dare maluerunt, Vid: Ruhnken, ad loc.): ☞ ad usum incommodare (e.g., manum, Ulp., is post- classical). To disable a ship, navem afflictare, frangere; *inutilem ad navigandum reddere. Old age disables us, senectus enervat et affligit homines. To disable the enemy, opes hostium affligere (Liv.); hostes bello affligere (Liv.); opes adversariorum debilitare (Nep.); accidere res hostium. To disable guns, *frangere pedamentum or pegma tormentorum (Bau.).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for disable?
- The usual Latin words for “disable” are dēbilitō, īnfirmō, ēnervō; also exarmō, membrum, Velleius. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.