I.v. inch., to become still, to cease speaking or sounding (class. in prose and poetry).
I. Lit.: “sed conticiscam: nam audio aperiri foris,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 5, 28; id. Mil. 2, 4, 56: “ad quod ille quidem conticescit, sed sermonem suscipit Polus,” Quint. 2, 15, 28: “ad hos casus,” i. e. in such cases, id. 6, 1, 42: “conscientiā convictus repente conticuit,” Cic. Cat. 3, 5, 10: consedit ille; “conticui,” id. Har. Resp. 4, 7: “conticuere omnes,” Verg. A. 2, 1; Ov. M. 6, 293; 10, 430.—
B. To keep silence, not to speak (very rare): “paulisper alter, alterius conspectu, conticuere,” Liv. 30, 30, 2 Weissenb. ad loc.—Poet. with acc.: “tantum nefas conticuit,” Val. Fl. 3, 302.—
II. Transf., of things: “numquam de vobis (hominum) gratissimus sermo conticescet,” Cic. Phil. 14, 12, 33: “nec ulla umquam aetas de tuis laudibus conticescet,” id. Marc. 3, 9: conticuit lyra, * Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 43: “tubae,” Mart. 7, 80: “conticuere undae,” Ov. M. 5, 574.—
III. Trop., to become still or quiet, come to rest, cease, decline, stop, abate (syn. obmutesco): “cum obmutuisset senatus, judicia conticuissent, etc.,” Cic. Pis. 12, 26: “ut tum conticisceret illa lamentatio et gemitus urbis,” id. Red. Sen. 7, 17: “artes nostrae,” id. Mur. 10, 22; cf.: “studium,” id. Brut. 94, 324: “litterae forenses et senatoriae,” id. Off. 2, 1, 3: “actiones tribuniciae,” Liv. 4, 1, 5: “tumultus,” id. 2, 55, 10; 22, 55, 8: “furor,” id. 2, 29, 11.
