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spīro , āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and
I.a. [etym. dub.].
I. Neutr., to breathe, blow, etc. (cf. flo).
A. Lit.
2. In partic., to breathe, draw breath, respire (the class. signif. of the word; cf. “anhelo): cum spirantes mixtas hinc ducimus auras,Lucr. 6, 1129: “quae deseri a me, dum quidem spirare potero, nefas judico,Cic. N. D. 3, 40, 94: “ne spirare quidem sine metu possunt,id. Rosc. Am. 23, 65; id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 1: “vehementer et crebro spirare,Cels. 2, 4: “querulum spirat,breathes plaintively, Mart. 2, 26, 1.—
b. Transf.
(β). Of aspirated letters: “quibus (litteris) nullae apud eos dulcius spirant,sound, Quint. 12, 10, 27.—
B. Trop.
1. (Acc. to I. A. 1.) To be favorable, to favor (the fig. taken from a favorable wind): “quod si tam facilis spiraret Cynthia nobis,Prop. 2, 24 (3, 18), 5: “di maris et terrae ... spirate secundi,Verg. A. 3, 529.—
2. (Acc. to I. A. 2.) To breathe, live, be alive: “videtur Laelii mens spirare etiam in scriptis, Galbae autem vis occidisse,Cic. Brut. 24, 94; cf.: “spirat adhuc amor Vivuntque calores Aeoliae puellae,Hor. C. 4, 9, 10.—Of life-like representations by painting, sculpture, etc.: “excudent alii spirantia mollius aera,Verg. A. 6, 847: “Parii lapidis spirantia signa,id. G. 3, 34: “spirat et arguta picta tabella manu,Mart. 7, 84, 2; 11, 10, 7.—
3. To be poetically inspired, to have the lyric spirit: “quod spiro, et placeo, si placeo, tuum est,Hor. C. 4, 3, 24 (Orell. ad loc.).—
4. Spirare alte, altius, to be puffed up, proud, or arrogant, Flor. 2, 2, 27: “Eusebium alte spirantem addixere poenae,Amm. 22, 3, 12.—
II. Act., to breathe out, exhale, emit (mostly poet. and post-Aug.; not in Cic.; syn. exhalo).
B. Trop., to breathe forth, exhale: “pinguia Poppaeana,Juv. 6, 466: “mendacia,id. 7, 111: “ut vidit vastos telluris hiatus Divinam spirare fidem (i. e. oracula),Luc. 5, 83.—
2. To breathe into: “ficto Corpori animam,Lact. 2, 11, 3.—
3. Transf., like the Engl. to breathe, i. e. to be full of; to show, express, manifest; to design, intend a thing (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): tantum spirantes aequo certamine bellum. Lucr. 5, 392: “mollem spirare quietem,Prop. 1, 3, 7: “quae spirabat amores,Hor. C. 4, 13, 19: “inquietum hominem et tribunatum etiam nunc spirantem,Liv. 3, 46: “fratris facta spirans,imitating, Sil. 15, 411; cf.: “fratrem spirat in armis,id. 3, 740: “spirantes proelia dira effigies,id. 17, 398.— Often with neutr. adj. used adverb.: “magnum,Prop. 2, 15 (3, 7), 53: “majora,Curt. 6, 9, 11: “immane,Verg. A. 7, 510: “tragicum satis,Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 166; cf. id. C. 4, 3, 24: “quiddam indomitum,Flor. 1, 22, 1: “cruenta,Amm. 16, 1, 5.
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