I.to lame, cripple, maim; to debilitate, unnerve, disable, weaken (freq. and class.).
I. Lit.
a. Of personal objects: “gladiatores, qui debilitati fuerint,” Gai. Inst. 3, § 146: “contusi ac debilitati inter saxa rupesque,” Liv. 21, 40: “corpore debilitantur (saucii),” Cic. Caecin. 15, 42: “casu debilitatus,” Tac. A. 4, 63: lapsu debilitatus, * Suet. Aug. 43 (cf. shortly after, qui et ipse crus fregerat): qui filium debilitavit, ut inhabilis militiae sit, Dig. 49, 16, 4, § 12; Ov. M. 13, 112: “natantium manus lacerabant, donec debilitati, etc.,” Curt. 4, 3, 5.—
b. Of inanimate objects: “membra, quae debilitavit lapidibus, fustibus,” Cic. Fl. 30, 73: “vim ferro ac viribus,” id. Marc. 3: lingua Debilitata malis, * Lucr. 6, 1150: “opes adversariorum debilitatae,” Nep. Ages. 5, 2: “cibum etiam saepe subtrahunt, ut fame debilitetur eculeorum nimis effrenata vis,” Cic. Hortens. Frag. 78 Bait. (Non., p. 105, 7).—Poet.: (hiems) quae nunc oppositis debilitat pumicibus mare Tyrrhenum, i. e. breaks its waves ( = collidit), Hor. Od. 1, 11, 5.
II. Trop.
a. Of personal objects: quo metu debilitaret nostros, Varr. ap. Non. 163, 30: “simulac me fractum ac debilitatum metu viderit,” Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 121; cf.: “hunc cum afflictum, debilitatum, maerentem, viderem,” id. ib. 2, 47, 195: “recitatis literis debilitatus atque abjectus, conscientia convictus, repente conticuit,” disheartened, id. Cat. 3, 5, 10: “victi debilitantur animosque demittunt,” id. Fin. 5, 15, 42: “sin aestivorum timor te debilitat,” id. Fam. 7, 14: “quosdam continet metus, quosdam debilitat,” Quint. 1, 3, 6 et saep.: debilitati a jure cognoscendo, i. e. dispirited, discouraged ( = deterriti), Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 142 (cf. shortly before, a discendo deterrent).—
b. Of inanimate objects: “membrum reip. fractum debilitatumque,” Cic. Fam. 5, 13, 3: “animos,” id. Lael. 7; so Nep. Dat. 6: “animum luctu, metu,” Cic. Planc. 42, 103: nimis effrenatam vim fame, id. fragm. ap. Non. 105, 11; cf.: vires animi (senectus), * Verg. A. 9, 611: “fortitudinem, magnitudinem animi, patientiam (dolor),” Cic. Tusc. 5, 27, 76: “veritatem multis incommodis,” id. Quint. 1, 4: “spem meam,” id. Att. 5, 4 et saep.: “versus,” id. de Or. 3, 50: “debilitatur ac frangitur eloquentia,” Tac. Or. 39.