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dŭbĭto , āvi, ātum, 1,
I.v. freq. n. and a. [for duhibitare, freq. from duhibeo, i. e. duohabeo (cf. habitare from habeo), to have or hold, as two, v. dubius; cf. also Gr. δοιάζω from δοιοί; Germ. zweifeln from zwei], to vibrate from one side to the other, to and fro, in one's opinions or in coming to a conclusion (freq. in all periods and sorts of composition; in class. prose usually with negations or in a negative interrogation, as: non dubito, haud dubito, quis dubitat? etc.
I. To waver in opinion or judgment, to be uncertain, to be in doubt, to doubt, question.
(α). Absol. (rare but class.): ne vinolenti quidem quae faciunt eadem approbatione faciunt qua sobrii; “dubitant, haesitant, revocant se interdum,Cic. Ac. 2, 17, 52; cf. id. ib. 2, 23, 72: “et interrogamus et dubitamus et affirmamus,Quint. 6, 3, 70; cf. id. 10, 1, 19; 10, 3, 19: “Livius frequentissime dubitat,id. 2, 4, 19; 9, 2, 20: vivo equidem, ne dubita; “nam vera vides,Verg. A. 3, 316: “ut jam liceat una comprehensione omnia complecti non dubitantemque (= sine ulla dubitatione) dicere,Cic. Fin. 5, 9, 26; id. Fam. 5, 16, 4 Madv.; so id. Div. 1, 55, 125.—
(β). With de (class.): “de indicando dubitat,Cic. Sull. 18, 52; id. Fam. 12, 17; Quint. 1, 10, 29; 4, 5, 13.—With a negation: “nec vero de hoc quisquam dubitare posset, nisi, etc.,Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 73: “de aliqua re,id. N. D. 1, 8: “de divina ratione,id. ib. 2, 39, 99: “de tua erga me voluntate,id. Fam. 13, 45 fin.; cf. id. Att. 12, 26: “de ejus fide,Caes. B. G. 7, 21, 1: cf. id. ib. 7, 77, 10; 1, 40 fin.: “de carminibus,Quint. 10, 5, 4: “de ultima illa (parte),id. 12, 2, 10: de se, Pompei ap. Cic. Att. 8, 12 A et saep.—Pass. impers.: “de armis dubitatum est,Cic. Caecin. 13, 38: “de judicio Panaetii dubitari non potest,id. Off. 3, 3; so, de auctore, Quint. 7, 2, 8: “de hac (virtute) nihil dubitabitur,id. 2, 20, 7.—
(δ). With an interrog. pron. (good prose, but rare): “ubi tu dubites, quid sumas potissimum,Ter. Ph. 2, 2, 29: “non dubito, quid nobis agendum putes,Cic. Att. 10, 1, 2; id. Fam. 11, 17, 2; 15, 9; Caes. B. C. 2, 32, 10: “cur dubitas, quid de re publica sentias?Cic. Rep. 1, 38 fin.; cf. id. ib. 3, 17 fin.; id. de Imp. Pomp. 16 fin.—(ε) With interrog. particles (very freq. and class.): “si me non improbissime tractasset, dubitassem fortasse utrum, etc.,Cic. Att. 16, 15, 1: “desinite dubitare, utrum sit utilius, etc. . . . an, etc.,Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 89; cf. impers., id. Att. 4, 15, 7; Liv. 5, 3: “honestumne factu sit an turpe dubitant,Cic. Off. 1, 3, 9: “dubitavi, hos homines emerem, an non emerem,Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 95; cf. Sall. J. 74, 2; Hor. C. 1, 12, 35: “recte necne, etc.,id. Ep. 2, 1, 80: “licet et dubitare num quid nos fugerit,Quint. 6, 1, 3: “dubito, num, etc.,Plin. Ep. 6, 27, 1; Tac. H. 2, 37; “de L. Bruto fortasse dubitarim, an, etc.,Cic. Tusc. 4, 22, 50 et saep.—Cf. respecting the expression dubito an, the art. an, II., and Zumpt, Gramm. § 354.—Poet. in pass. (cf. supra, γ): “an dea sim, dubitor,Ov. M. 6, 208.—(ζ) Non dubito, quin (very freq. and class.): “non hercle dubito, quin tibi ingenio nemo praestiterit,Cic. Rep. 1, 23; id. Div. 1, 57, 129; id. de Sen. 10, 31; id. Att. 6, 2, 3; id. Fam. 13, 73 fin.; Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 40: numquid tu dubitas quin ego nunc perpetuo perierim? Have you a doubt? etc., Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 13; Caes. B. G. 1, 17, 4; 1, 31, 15; Quint. 12, 1, 42; Suet. Tib. 17; Ov. H. 17, 11; 245; id. Tr. 5, 7, 59 et saep.; cf. pass. impers.: “dubitari (non) potest, quin, etc.,Cic. Ac. 2, 23 fin.; id. Off. 3, 2, 9; Quint. 10, 2, 1: “dubitari potest quin usque eo eicienda sit,Sen. Contr. 1, 3, 1: “illud cave dubites, quin, etc.,Cic. Fam. 5, 20, 6; “quid dubitas, quin sit, etc.,Plaut. Aul. 2, 1, 42; “so in an interrog.,id. Poen. 1, 1, 55; 4, 2, 59; Quint. 7, 6, 10; cf. Cic. N. D. 2, 38, 97; Caes. B. G. 7, 38, 8.—(η) With acc. and inf. (freq. only since the Aug. period, and in gen. only negatively; not found in Plaut., Ter., or Cic.; “but usual in Nepos): neque humorem dubitavi aurasque perire,Lucr. 5, 249: “gratos tibi esse qui de me rumores afferuntur, non dubito,Cic. Fil. Fam. 16, 21, 2 (cf., on the contrary, § “7: noli dubitare, quin te sublevaturus sim): ignorabant aut dubitabant animas hominum immortales esse,Lact. 6, 3, 5: non dubito, fore plerosque qui, etc., Nep. praef. § 1; id. Milt. 3, 6; id. Lys. 3, 5; id. Alcib. 9, 5; id. Ages. 3, 1; id. Eum. 2, 3; id. Hann. 11, 2; Liv. 2, 64; 22, 55 Drak. et saep.; Quint. 3, 7, 5; 5, 10, 76; 9, 4, 114; Suet. Claud. 35 et saep.; cf. “in an interrog.: an est quisquam qui dubitet, tribunos offensos esse?Liv. 5, 3; so, “quis dubitat,Quint. 9, 4, 68; 130; 10, 1, 81. —Pass. impers.: an dubitabitur, ibi partes oratoris esse praecipuas? id. prooem. § 12. —Affirm.: piraticam ut musicam, fabricam dici adhuc dubitabant mei praeceptores, Quint. 8, 3, 34.—
2. Transf., of inan. and abstr. subjects, to be uncertain, doubtful: “si tardior manus dubitet,Quint. 5, 10, 124: “suspensa ac velut dubitans oratio,id. 10, 7, 22: “aut vincere aut, si fortuna dubitabit (= adversabit), etc.,Liv. 21, 44 fin.: “nec mox fama dubitavit, cum, etc.,Flor. 1, 1, 2.—
B. Meton., to reflect upon, to ponder, consider, deliberate: “in utramque partem cogitare, deliberare, etc. (very rare): haec dum dubitas, menses abierunt decem,Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 57: “restat, judices, ut hoc dubitemus, uter, etc.,Cic. Rosc. Am. 31, 88: “percipe porro, quid dubitem,Verg. A. 9, 191: “dubitaverat Augustus Germanicum rei Romanae imponere,had considered whether he should, Tac. A. 4, 57.
II. To waver in coming to a conclusion, to be irresolute; to hesitate, delay.
(α). With inf. (so most commonly): non dubitaverim me gravissimis tempestatibus obvium ferre, Cic. Rep. 1, 4; “so with a negation,id. ib. 1, 15; id. Lael. 1; id. de Or. 1, 40 et saep.; Caes. B. G. 2, 23, 2: flumen transire, 6, 8, 1; id. B. C. 1, 71, 2; 2, 33, 2 and fin.; Verg. A. 7, 311; 8, 614 et saep.: “quid dubitamus pultare atque huc evocare ambos foras?Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 29; “so in an interrog.,id. Mil. 4, 2, 17; id. Ps. 2, 2, 30; id. Poen. 3, 5, 44; Caes. B. C. 2, 34, 4; Quint. 12, 5, 3; 12, 10, 63; Verg. A. 6, 807 al.—Very seldom affirmatively: “quod ea illi nubere dubitabat,Sall. C. 15, 2: “accusat fratrem, quod dubitet omnia quae ad beatam vitam pertineant ventre metiri,Cic. N. D. 1, 40, 113: “dubitat agnoscere matrem,Stat. Achill. 1, 250: “si forte dubitaret quod afferretur accipere,Curt. 4, 5: “isdem mandatum ut occiderent, si venire dubitaret,id. 10, 8.—Ellipt.: “quod dubitas, ne feceris,Plin. Ep. 1, 18, 5.—
(β). Non dubito quin (rare in Cic. and Caes.): “nemo dubitabat, quin, etc.,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 13; id. Mil. 23, 63; id. Agr. 2, 26, 69: “tum dubitandum non existimavit, quin proficisceretur,Caes. B. G. 2, 2, 5; id. B. C. 3, 71, 1; cf.: “nolite dubitare, quin huic uni credatis omnia,Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 23, 68; “and in an interrog.: dubitabitis, judices, quin? etc.,id. Fl. 17, 40; id. de Imp. Pomp. 16, 49.—
A. dŭbĭtanter , adv. *
2. Hesitatingly, with hesitancy (very rare): “illum verecunde et dubitanter recepisse,Cic. Brut. 22, 87; cf. Asin. Pollio ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 31, 2.—
B. dŭbĭ-tātim , adv. (i. q. dubitanter, 2.), hesitatingly, with hesitation (only in the foll. passages), Sisenn. ap. Non. 98, 33; so Cael. Ann. ib.
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  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (120):
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 10.31.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 11.17.2
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 12.17
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 13.45
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 13.73
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 5.16.4
    • Cicero, Letters to his Friends, 5.20.6
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 10.1.2
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 12.26
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 16.15.1
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 4.15.7
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 6.2.3
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 8.12
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.17.4
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 1.41.3
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 2.23.2
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 5.44.3
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 7.21.1
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 7.38.8
    • Caesar, Gallic War, 7.4.9
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.2.53
    • Cicero, On the Agrarian Law, 2.26.69
    • Cicero, For Aulus Caecina, 13.38
    • Cicero, For Sulla, 18.52
    • Cicero, For Sextus Roscius of Ameria, 31.88
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.1.103
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.2.32
    • Cicero, Against Verres, 2.3.207
    • Cicero, For Milo, 23.63
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 11.377
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 2.20
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 6.194
    • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 6.208
    • Plautus, Amphitruo, 1.2
    • Plautus, Menaechmi, 5.7
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 1.1
    • Plautus, Poenulus, 3.5
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 2.1
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 3.316
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 6.807
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 9.191
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 3.170
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 7.311
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 9.12
    • Caesar, Civil War, 1.71.2
    • Caesar, Civil War, 2.32.10
    • Caesar, Civil War, 2.34.4
    • Caesar, Civil War, 3.71.1
    • Tacitus, Annales, 14.7
    • Tacitus, Annales, 4.57
    • Tacitus, Historiae, 2.37
    • Plautus, Aulularia, 2.1
    • Plautus, Bacchides, 5.1
    • Plautus, Captivi, 2.3
    • Plautus, Miles Gloriosus, 4.2
    • Plautus, Pseudolus, 2.2
    • Cicero, On Oratory, 1.40
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 15
    • Sallust, Catilinae Coniuratio, 28
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 5.249
    • Suetonius, Divus Claudius, 35
    • Suetonius, Tiberius, 17
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 1.18.5
    • Pliny the Younger, Epistulae, 6.27.1
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 5, 3
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 21, 44
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 2, 64
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 22, 55
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.23
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.38
    • Cicero, De Republica, 1.4
    • Cicero, de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, 5.9
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.40
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 1.8
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.38
    • Cicero, De Amicitia, 1
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.55
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.57
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 1.30
    • Cicero, Tusculanae Disputationes, 4.22
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 1.3
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 3.19
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 3.2
    • Cicero, De Officiis, 3.3
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 1, 10.29
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 3, 7.5
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 17.2
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 20.7
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 2, 4.19
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 4, 5.13
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 5, 10.124
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 5, 10.76
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 1.3
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 6, 3.70
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 7, 2.8
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 2.20
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 4.114
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 4.130
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 9, 4.68
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 7, 6.10
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 8, 3.34
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 10, 1.81
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 10, 7.22
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 10.63
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 2.10
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 10, 1.19
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 10, 2.1
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 10, 3.19
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 10, 5.4
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 1.42
    • Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria, Book 12, 5.3
    • Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum, 74
    • Ovid, Tristia, 5.7
    • Florus, Epitome Rerum Romanorum, 1.1.2
    • Statius, Silvae, 1.4
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 10.8
    • Curtius, Historiarum Alexandri Magni, 4.5
    • Cicero, Brutus, 22.87
    • Seneca the Elder, Controversiae, 1.3.1
    • Cicero, De Inventione, 2.3
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