2. with acc. of thatfrom whichthe hair or feathersare plucked,τίλλειν πέλειαν, of birds of prey, 15.527 , cf. Hdt. 3.76 ; κίρκον εἰσορῶ . . χηλαῖς κάρα τίλλοντα
A. Pers. 209
;τίλλουσι τὴν γλαῦκα, of small birds attacking the owl, Arist. HA 609a15 ; so of the cuckoo, ib. 618a29 ( Pass. ); as a description of an idle fellow, τίλλων ἑαυτόν
Ar. Pax 546
, cf. Ra. 428 ; of a cook,plucka fowl, Eub. 150.5 , cf. Plu. 2.233a ; also τ. λαγών
II. since tearing the hair was a usual expression of sorrow,τίλλεσθαί τινα tear one's hair in sorrow forany one, τόν γ' ἄλοχός τε φίλη καὶ πότνια μήτηρ τιλλέσθην
Il. 24.711
: without acc., τιλλόμενοι καὶ κλαίοντες
Phld. Ir. p.36
W.
III. metaph.,pluck, vex, annoy, Anacr. 13 B;στέφανον τ.,
= τοὺς νόμους λυμαίνεσθαι , Pythag. ap. Porph. VP 42 :— Pass. ,ὑπὸ συκοφαντῶν τίλλεσθαι, with allusion to a bird's feathers, Ar. Av. 285 . (Not found in Att. Prose.)