I. To die in secret, perish unobserved, to die off, fall to decay (not in Cic. or Cæs.), Cato, R. R. 161, 3: “radices intermoriuntur,” Plin. 21, 18, 69, § 114: “ignis,” Curt. 6, 6, 31: “civitas,” Liv. 34, 49.—
II. Trop.
A. To faint away, to swoon: “ex profluvio sanguinis intermorientes vino reficiendi sunt,” Cels. 5, 26, 25.—
B. Of roads, to come to an end, stop: “pars (viarum) sine ullo exitu intermoriuntur,” Dig. 43, 7, 3, § 2. —
C. To be neglected: nullum officium tuum apud me intermoriturum existimas, Bith. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 16.—Hence, intermortŭus , a, um, P. a., dead, faint, lifeless, powerless.
A. Lit.: “in ipsa contione intermortuus haud multo post exspiravit,” Liv. 37, 53, 10: “diu prope intermortuus jacuit,” Suet. Ner. 42.—
B. Trop.: gemmae jactatae in ignem, velut intermortuae, exstinguuntur, lose their lustre, Plin. 37, 7, 27, § 99: “contiones,” Cic. Mil. 5, 12: “mores boni plerique omnes jam sunt intermortui,” Plaut. Trin. 1, 1, 7: “Catilinae reliquiae,” Cic. Pis. 7 fin.: “memoria generis sui,” id. Mur. 7, 16 fin.