debilis

dēbĭlis (old shortened form debil, v. Ritschl, Opusc. Phil. 2, 331), e, adj. [de-habilis; cf. Dig. 49, 16, 4, § 12: lit. unmanageable, wanting in flexibility or activity; hence], lame, disabled, crippled, infirm, debilitated, feeble, frail, weak, etc. For syn. cf.: imbecillus, infirmus, invalidus (freq. and class.).

I.

Lit.

a.

Of personal subjects:

debiles fieri,

Cato R. R. 157, 10:

si gladium imbecillo seni aut debili dederis,

Cic. Sest. 10, 24; cf. id. Phil. 8, 10, 31; Phaedr. 4, 2, 10:

confectus senectute, mancus et membris omnibus captus ac debilis,

Cic. Rab. Perd. 7, 21; cf.: debilis manu, pede, coxa, Maecen. ap. Sen. Ep. 101, 11; ille humero, hic lumbis, hic coxa debilis, * Juv. 10, 227:

plurimis stipendiis debilis miles,

Plin. 7, 28, 29, § 104:

integris debiles implicabantur,

Curt. 4, 16, 11:

amissis remis atque ordine debilis uno Sergestus,

Verg. A. 5, 271:

claudi ac debiles equi,

Liv. 21, 40.—

b.

Of inanimate subjects: membra metu, * Ter. Ad. 4, 4, 3; Sen. Contr. 5, 33; cf.

debile fit corpus,

Lucr. 4, 952; 5, 830:

manus,

Ov. M. 12, 106: crus, * Suet. Vesp. 7:

ferrum,

Verg. A. 12, 50:

pennae,

Ov. R. Am. 198:

jugum,

id. Pont. 3, 1, 68:

umbra,

id. Tr. 3, 4, 20.— Poet.:

iter,

i.e. of a wounded man, Stat. Th. 12, 144.

II.

Trop., disabled, weak, in mind, character, authority, etc.

a.

Of personal subjects:

eos qui restitissent infirmos sine illo (sc. Catilina) ac debiles fore putabam,

Cic. Cat. 3, 2:

qui hac parte animi (sc. memoria) tam debilis esset, ut, etc.,

id. Brut. 61, 219:

ingenio debilior,

Tac. H. 4, 62; cf.: sine animo anima est debilis, Att. ap. Non. 426, 48 (v. 296 Ribbeck).—

b.

Of inanimate subjects:

duo corpora esse reipublicae, unum debile, infirmo capite: alterum firmum sine capite,

Cic. Mur. 25, 51:

manca ac debilis praetura,

id. Mil. 9, 25; id. Tusc. 2, 5, 13:

manus, sine quibus trunca esset actio ac debilis,

Quint. 11, 3, 85: inscitia, * Pers. 5, 99.— Comp. v. supra.— Sup. appears not to occur.—

* Adv., dēbĭlĭter, infirmly, lamely, feebly: lacrimis lingua debiliter stupet, Pac. ap. Non. 98, 18 (v. 355 Ribbeck).