I.to totter, be ready to fall, begin to sink, to give way, be loosened (syn.: vacillo, titubo, nato).
I. Lit.: labat, labuntur saxa, caementae cadunt, Enn. ap. Non. 196, 3 (Trag. v. 142 Vahl.): “signum labat,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 43, 95: “si ex ictu ... labant dentes,” Cels. 7, 12, 1: “labat ariete crebro Janua,” Verg. A. 2, 492: “labant curvae naves,” roll, Ov. M. 2, 163: “pressaeque labant sub gurgite turres,” id. ib. 1, 290: “(turris) qua summa labantis Juncturas tabulata dabant,” Verg. A. 2, 463: “littera labat,” written with a trembling hand, Ov. H. 10, 140: “labare sermone,” to stutter, speak indistinctly, Plin. 14, 22, 28, § 146: “si labat oculus et hac atque illac movetur,” is unsteady, Cels. 7, 7, 14: “tarda trementi genua labant,” sink, Verg. A. 5, 432; so, “pedes,” Ov. F. 6, 676: “vincla labant,” are loosed, id. A. A. 2, 85.—Poet., of dying persons: “inde labant populi,” fall, sink, Luc. 6, 93; cf.: “omnia tum vero vitaï claustra lababant,” Lucr. 6, 1153.—With Gr. acc.: “egressi labant vestigia prima,” Verg. A. 10, 283 Forbig. (Rib. egressisque).—
II. Trop.
A. To waver, to be unstable, undecided, to hesitate (in opinion, resolution, etc.): “si res labat, Itidem amici collabascunt,” Plaut. Stich. 4, 1, 16; cf.: “scito, labare meum consilium illud, quod satis jam fixum videbatur,” Cic. Att. 8, 14, 2: “labamus mutamusque sententiam,” id. Tusc. 1, 32, 78: “cum ei labare M. Antonius videretur,” id. Phil. 6, 4, 10: “animumque labantem inpulit,” Verg. A. 4, 22: “labantia corda,” id. ib. 12, 223: “socii labant,” waver in fidelity, Liv. 22, 61; cf.: “fides sociorum,” id. 32, 30, 9: “animus regis,” id. 40, 54; 2, 39: “quīs lababat fides,” whose fidelity was wavering, Sil. 2, 392: “mens,” Ov. M. 6, 629: “tu mente labantem dirige me,” Luc. 2, 244: “ex nimia matrem pietate labare sensit,” Ov. M. 6, 629: “memoria labat,” becomes weak, Liv. 5, 18; cf.: “mens in illis (phreneticis) labat, in hoc (cordiaco) constat,” Cels. 3, 19: “nec dubium habebatur labare hostes,” Tac. A. 2, 26: “labante jam Agrippina,” id. H. 14, 22: “labantem ordinem contirmare,” Suet. Caes. 14: “acies labantes restituere,” Tac. G. 8 init.: “sustinere labantem aciem,” id. H. 3, 23; 5, 18.—
B. To sink, fall to pieces, go to ruin: “quid non sic aliud ex alio nectitur, ut non, si unam litteram moveris, labent omnia?” Cic. Fin. 3, 22, 74: “omnes rei publicae partes aegras et labantes sanare et confirmare,” id. Mil. 25, 68; cf.: “sustinuisse labantem fortunam populi Romani,” Liv. 26, 41: “sicuti populo Romano sua fortuna labet,” id. 42, 50: “labante egregia quondam disciplina,” id. 36, 6: “cum res Trojana labaret,” Ov. M. 15, 437: “labantibus Vitellii rebus,” Tac. H. 2, 86: “si quid in moribus labaret,” id. A. 2, 33.
