I.v. freq. n. [fluo], to float, swim, or sail about on the water, to flow (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
I. Lit.: “in lacu Apuscidamo omnia fluitant, nihil mergitur (shortly before: in quo stagno nihil innatet),” Plin. 31, 2, 18, § 22: “materies primo sidit, postea fluitare incipit,” id. 13, 7, 14, § 57: rei publicae navem fluitantem in alto tempestatibus, *Cic. Sest. 20, 46: “fluitans alvĕus,” Liv. 1, 4, 6: “fluitantes insulae,” Plin. 16, 36, 66, § 168: “ebenus in aquis non fluitat,” id. 16, 40, 76, § 204: “in summo,” id. 28, 9, 35, § 134: “contra aquas,” id. 29, 3, 12, § 52: “fusile aurum per rictus,” to flow, Ov. M. 11, 127: “jucundum utrumque per jocum ludumque fluitantibus,” those who sail about, Plin. Ep. 8, 8, 4.—
B. Transf., to move in a waving, unsteady manner; to wave, undulate: “fluitantia aplustra,” Lucr. 2, 555: “pleno fluitantia vela theatro,” Prop. 3, 18 (4, 17), 13: “vela summo fluitantia malo,” Ov. M. 11, 470: “fluitantia lora,” i. e. flowing, slack, id. A. A. 2, 433: “vestis non fluitans sed stricta et singulos artus exprimens,” flowing, loose, Tac. G. 17: “amictus,” Cat. 64, 68: “fluitans labansque miles,” staggering, Tac. H. 5, 18; 3, 27: “vela (in theatris) per malos trabesque trementia flutant namque ... cogunt suo fluitare colore,” to wave, Lucr. 4, 77 sq.—
II. Trop., to be doubtful or uncertain, to waver: “animi incerto errore fluitans,” Lucr. 3, 1052: “spe dubiae horae,” Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 110: “unde primum creditur Caecinae fides fluitasse,” Tac. H. 2, 93 fin.: “fluitans fides,” Claud. B. G. 247: “citra lectionis exemplum labor ille (scribendi) carens rectore fluitabit, i. e. will be performed at random,” Quint. 10, 1, 2.
