I.to cleave or stick to a thing.
I. Lit., of iron adhering to a magnet: “unus ubi ex uno dependet, subter adhaerens,” Lucr. 6, 914; cf. id. 3, 557: tota adhaerens (lingua) crocodilis, cleaving to his palate, Plin. 11, 37, 65, § 171.—With in and abl.: “tela in tuis visceribus,” Cic. Vatin. 5, 13; so Ov. M. 4, 693.—With acc.: “cratera et corvus adhaeret,” Cic. Arat. 541 (so Tert.: humerum, de Pall. 5).—With abl.: “fronte cuspis,” Ov. M. 5, 38.—With dat., poet.: “tonsis (ovibus) illotus sudor,” Verg. G. 3, 443: “veteri craterae limus adhaesit,” Hor. Sat. 2, 4, 80; “and in later prose: navis ancoris,” is fastened to them, Tac. A. 2, 23: “stativis castris,” id. ib. 3, 21; and: “jumento,” to stick to, Gell. 20, 1.—
II. Fig.
A. In gen., to cling to, adhere to: “adhaesit homini ad intimum ventrem fames,” Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 83; “and of fawning adherence to one,” id. As. 1, 3, 59: “cui canis ex vero dictum cognomen adhaeret,” adheres, Hor. S. 2, 2, 56: “nulli fortunae adhaerebat animus, i. e. inconstans fuit,” Liv. 41, 20: “obsidioni fortiter adhaerentes,” Amm. 19, 3.—
B. Adhaerere alicui, to be close to a person or thing, to be near, to hang on, keep close to, etc. (mostly post-Cic., esp. in the histt.): “vineis modica silva adhaerebat,” was close to it, adjoined it, Tac. H. 2, 25; so Amm. 18, 2.—Of persons: procul abesse Romanos: lateri adhaerere gravem dominum, i. e. he (the King of Macedon) hangs on them, threatens them by his nearness, Liv. 39, 25: “nec umquam non adhaerentes,” and never departing from his side, Suet. Galb. 14: “comitem perpetuo alicui adhaerere,” Plin. 10, 22, 26, § 51: “tempus adhaerens,” the time in hand, just the present time, Quint. 5, 10, 46: “obvio quoque adhaerente,” while each one adhered to him, Suet. Oth. 6; “and so trop.: adhaeret altissimis invidia,” Vell. 1, 9.—
C. To hang on a thing, i. e. to trail or drag after, to be the last, sarcastically in Cic.: tenesne memoriā te extremum adhaesisse? hung on the end, i. e. extremo loco quaestorem esse factum, Vat. 5 (cf. haerere, Liv. 5, 2 fin., and Gron. ad h. l.); “and without sarcasm,” Curt. 10, 5, 19.
