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dēfectĭo , ōnis, f. deficio.
I. Defection, desertion, rebellion, revolt.
A. Lit.: “rebellio facta post deditionem, defectio datis obsidibus,” Caes. B. G. 3, 10; 5, 26; 6, 3, 4; Liv. 7, 42; 23, 12: Ampsivariorum a tergo, in the rear (of Caesar), Tac. A. 2, 8; 4, 24 et saep.: “subita defectio Pompeii,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 4, 4 al.: “imperii,” from the empire, Just. 41, 2, 1.—*
B. Trop.: “intemperantia, quae est a tota mente et a recta ratione defectio,” Cic. Tusc. 4, 9, 22.—
II. (Acc. to deficio, no. III.) A failing, failure, deficiency, want, disappearance.
a. Lit. (so most freq.): “ista ipsa defectio virium adolescentiae vitiis efficitur saepius quam senectutis,” Cic. de Sen. 9, 29: “aquarum, Frontin. Aquaed. 91: pecuniae,” Macr. Sat. 2, 5: “rerum,” Sen. Q. N. 4, 2.—
b. Esp. of the obscuration of the heavenly bodies, an eclipse: “solis defectiones itemque lunae praedicuntur in multos annos,” Cic. Div. 2, 6, 17; 1, 49 fin.; id. N. D. 2, 61; id. Rep. 1, 14 fin.; Sen. Q. N. 1, 12; Quint. 1, 10, 47; Tac. A. 1, 28 et saep.—
c. Also (sc. virium), exhaustion, faintness, swooning, fainting (post-Aug. prose), Plin. 23, praef. § “4: animae,” a swoon, Cels. 7, 33; Suet. Cal. 50: “alvo usque ad defectionem soluta,” id. Vesp. 24; cf. id. Tib. 73: “recreandae defectioni cibum adferre,” Tac. A. 6, 56 (50); cf.: defectione perire, by exhaustion, i. e. by disease, Sen. N. Q. 2, 59, 11: “in cunctis renibus,” Vulg. Nahum 2, 10.—
d. In the later grammarians, an ellipsis: “dicere aliquid per defectionem,” by ellipsis, elliptically, Gell. 5, 8, 3; 12, 14, 3; Macr. Sat. 6, 8 al.— *
B. Trop.: “Quintus frater omnia mittit spei plena, metuens credo defectionem animi mei,” my want of courage, despondency, Cic. Att. 3, 18.
A Latin Dictionary. Founded on Andrews' edition of Freund's Latin dictionary. revised, enlarged, and in great part rewritten by. Charlton T. Lewis, Ph.D. and. Charles Short, LL.D. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1879.

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hide References (18 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (18):
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 3.18
    • Cicero, Letters to his brother Quintus, 1.4.4
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 3.10
    • Tacitus, Annales, 1.28
    • Tacitus, Annales, 2.8
    • Suetonius, Tiberius, 73
    • Suetonius, Divus Vespasianus, 24
    • Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, 23
    • A. Cornelius Celsus, De Medicina, 7.33
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 7, 42
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 23, 12
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.14
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.61
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 2.6
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 4.9
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 10.47
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 12.14.3
    • Gellius, Noctes Atticae, 5.8.3
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