t, to chase, with acc.; þeir eltu einn hjört, Flóv. 27 ; elta dýr á spori, Barl. 199; e. sauði, to run after sheep, in order to fetch them back, Nj. 27, Korm. 28 (in a verse); eltu Þjálfa, Hbl. 39; þeir höfðu elt af skipum Tryggva konung, they had driven king T. from his ships, Fms. i. 37; Styrkárr elti þá suðr í Karmsund, ix. 54; hljópu á land upp ok eltu þá, iv. 304, Gullþ. 21; e. öxn með vendi, to drive cattle with a goad, Karl. 471.

β. reflex. to pursue one eagerly; eltask eptir e-m, … Fms. ix. 305: Icel. now say, eltask við e-n, e. g. of catching a horse, sheep, when grazing wild in an open field.

II. to knead, work; elta leir, to mix lime, Stj. 247, cp. Exod. i. 14.

2. a tanner’s term; e. skinn, to tan a hide, i. e. rub, scratch it, so as to make it soft; ek skal yðra húð elta með klungrum, Stj. 395. Judges viii. 7; elt skinn, tanned hide; óelt skinn, rough hide, (freq.)

3. = velta, to overthrow, in the Runic phrase, at rita sa varþi es ailti stain þansi eþa heþan dragi, Rafn 188, 194.