I.inf. parag. labier, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 94; part. labundus, Att. ap. Non. 504, 31; Trag. Fragm. v. 570 Rib.), 3, v. dep. n. [cf. lăbo; Sanscr. lamb- (ramb-), to glide, fall], to move gently along a smooth surface, to fall, slide; to slide, slip, or glide down, to fall down, to sink as the beginning of a fall; constr. absol., or with ad, in, inter, per, sub, super, ab, de, ex, or with abl. alone.
I. Lit.
A. In gen.
1. Of living beings: “non squamoso labuntur ventre cerastae,” Prop. 3 (4), 22, 27. “per sinus crebros et magna volumina labens,” Ov. M. 15, 721: “pigraque labatur circa donaria serpens,” Ov. Am. 2, 13, 13: “ille inter vestes et levia pectora lapsus volvitur,” Verg. A. 7, 349: (angues) in diversum lapsi, Jul. Obseq. 119.—Of floating: “ut rate felice pacata per aequora labar,” Ov. H. 10, 65: “dum Stygio gurgite labor,” id. M. 5, 504: “tua labens navita aqua,” Prop. 2, 26 (3, 21), 8.—Of flying: “tollunt se celeres, liquidumque per aera lapsae,” Verg. A. 6, 202: “vade, age, nate, voca Zephyros et labere pennis,” id. ib. 4, 223: “pennis lapsa per auras,” Ov. M. 8, 51: “labere, nympha, polo,” Verg. A. 11, 588.—Of sinking, slipping down: “labor, io! cara lumina conde manu,” Ov. A. A. 7, 342: “labitur infelix (equus),” Verg. G. 3, 498; cf. Luc. 5, 799: “labitur exsanguis,” Verg. A. 11, 818; 5, 181: “super terram,” Ov. M. 13, 477: “equo,” Hor. S. 2, 1, 15: “temone,” Verg. A. 12, 470 limite, Luc. 9, 712: “in vulnera,” id. 7, 604: “in colla mariti,” Val. Fl. 2, 425: “alieno vulnere,” Luc. 2, 265: “in rivo,” Cic. Fat. 3, 5: “pondere lapsi pectoris arma sonant,” Luc. 7, 572.— “Of gliding upwards: celeri fuga sub sidera,” Verg. A. 3, 243.—
2. Of things: “splendida signa videntur labier,” Lucr. 4, 445; Cic. Tusc. 4, 18, 42: “umor in genas Furtim labitur,” Hor. C. 1, 13, 7: “stellas Praecipites caelo labi,” Verg. G. 1, 366: “perque genas lacrimae labuntur,” Ov. H. 7, 185; id. M. 2, 656: “lapsi de fontibus amnes,” id. ib. 13, 954; cf.: “catenae lapsae lacertis sponte sua,” id. ib. 3, 699: “lapsuram domum subire,” about to tumble down, id. Ib. 511; Luc. 1, 25; cf. “with cado: multa in silvis Lapsa cadunt folia,” Verg. A. 6, 310: “ipsaque in Oceanum sidera lapsa cadunt,” Prop. 4 (5), 4, 64. “lapsis repente saxis,” Tac. A. 4, 59: “ab arbore ramus,” Ov. M. 3, 410.—Of the eyes, to fall, close: “labentes, oculos condere,” Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 44: “lumina,” Verg. A. 11, 818; Prop. 1, 10, 7; 2, 5, 17.—
B. Transf.
1. To glide away, glide along, slip or haste away: labitur uncta carina: volat super impetus undas, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 379 Vahl.); so id. ap. Isid. Orig. 19, 1 (Ann. v. 476 Vahl.); cf.: “labitur uncta vadis abies,” Verg. A. 8, 91; Cic. Ac. 1, 8, 31: “sidera, quae vaga et mutabili ratione labuntur,” id. Univ. 10.—Esp., of a transition in discourse, to pass: “a dispositione ad elocutionis praecepta labor,” Quint. 7, 10, 17.—
2. To slip away, escape: “lapsus custodiā,” Tac. A. 5, 10; 11, 31: “e manibus custodientium lapsus,” Curt. 3, 13, 3; Prop. 1, 11, 5; Amm. 26, 3, 3.—
II. Trop.
A. In gen., to come or go gently or insensibly, to glide, glide or pass away: “ilico res foras labitur,” Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 21: “brevitate et celeritate syllabarum labi putat verba proclivius,” Cic. Or. 57; 56: “sed labor longius, ad propositum revertor,” id. Div. 2, 37, 79; id. Leg. 1, 19, 52: “labitur occulte fallitque volubilis aetas,” Ov. Am. 1, 8, 49: “labi somnum sensit in artus,” id. M. 11, 631: “nostro illius labatur pectore vultus,” Verg. E. 1, 64.—
B. In partic.
1. Of speech, to die away, be lost, not be heard (very rare): “ne adjectae voces laberentur atque errarent,” Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 114; cf. Sil. 7, 745.—
2. Of time, to glide, pass away, elapse: “eheu fugaces labuntur anni,” Hor. C. 2, 14, 2: “anni tacite labentis origo,” Ov. F. 1, 65: “labentia tempora,” id. Tr. 3, 11; id. F. 6, 771; id. Tr. 4, 10, 27: “aetas labitur,” Tib. 1, 8, 48; cf.: labente officio, when the attendance or service is ended, Juv. 6, 203.—
3. Pregn., to sink, incline, begin to fall, go to ruin, perish: quantis opibus, quibus de rebus lapsa fortuna accidat, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19, 44 (Trag. v. 396 Vahl.); cf.: “cetera nasci, occidere, fluere, labi,” Cic. Or. 3, 10: “labentem et prope cadentem rem publicam fulcire,” id. Phil. 2, 21, 51: “equitem Romanum labentem excepit, fulsit, sustinuit,” id. Rab. Post. 16, 43; id. Ep. ad Brut. 1, 18, 2: “sustinuit labentem aciem Antonius,” Tac. H. 3, 23: “vidi labentes acies,” Prop. 4 (5), 2, 53. “eo citius lapsa res est,” Liv. 3, 33: mores lapsi sunt, id. praef.; Tac. A. 6, 50: “fides lapsa,” Ov. H. 2, 102: “labentur opes,” will be lost, Tib. 1, 6, 53: “res,” Lucr. 4, 1117: “hereditas lapsa est,” Dig. 4, 4, 11, § 5.—
4. To slip or fall away from a thing, to lose it: hac spe lapsus, deceived or disappointed in this hope, Caes. B. G. 5, 55, 3: “hoc munere,” Sil. 7, 740: “facultatibus,” to lose one's property, become poor, Dig. 27, 8, 2, § 11; 26, 7, 9, § 1: “mente,” to lose one's senses, go mad, Cels. 5, 26, 13; Suet. Aug. 48; cf.: “lapsae mentis error,” Val. Max. 5, 3, 2.—Hence, lapsus , a, um, ruined, unfortunate, Prop. 1, 1, 25. —
5. To fall into or upon, to come or turn to: “labor eo, ut assentiar Epicuro,” Cic. Ac. 2, 45, 139; id. Att. 4, 5, 2: “ad opinionem,” id. Ac. 2, 45, 138: “in adulationem,” Tac. A. 4, 6: “in gaudia,” Val. Fl. 6, 662: “in vitium,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 94.—
6. To fall into error, to be mistaken, to err, mistake, commit a fault: “labi, errare, nescire, decipi et malum et turpe ducimus,” Cic. Off. 1, 6, 18: “in aliqua re labi et cadere,” id. Brut. 49, 185: “in minimis tenuissimisque rebus,” id. de Or. 1, 37, 169; id. Fam. 2, 7, 1: “lapsus est per errorem suum,” id. Q. Fr. 3, 9, 8: “consilio, ... casu,” id. Agr. 2, 3, 6: “propter inprudentiam,” Caes. B. G. 5, 3: “in officio,” Cic. Tusc. 2, 4, 12: “in verbo,” Ov. Am. 2, 8, 7: “ne verbo quidem labi,” Plin. Ep. 2, 3: “it vera ratione,” Lucr. 2, 176.—
7. Esp., to fall away from the true faith, to become apostate (eccl. Lat.): “lapsorum fratrum petulantia,” Cypr. Ep. 30, 1 al.
