libro

lībro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [libra].

I.

To balance, make even, level, to determine a level: aquam, to level water, i. e. to ascertain the fall of water by means of a level, Vitr. 8, 6, 3: collocationem libratam indicare, id 8, 6, 1.— Pass. impers.:

libratur autem dioptris,

Vitr. 8, 6, 1.—

B.

Transf., to make even or level:

pavimenta,

Cato, R. R. 18, 7.—

II.

To hold in equilibrium, to poise, balance:

terra librata ponderibus,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 24, 69:

columnarum turbines ita librati perpenderunt, ut puero circumagente tornarentur,

Plin. 36, 13, 19, § 91:

librati pondera caeli orbe tene medio,

Luc. 1, 58.—

B.

To cause to hang or swing, to keep suspended, keep in its place:

vela cadunt primo et dubia librantur ab aura,

are waved to and fro, Ov. F. 3, 585:

et fluctus supra, vento librante, pependit,

Sil. 17, 274:

aëris vi suspensam librari medio spatio tellurem,

Plin. 2, 5, 4, § 10.—

C.

To cause to swing, to swing, sway, brandish, set in motion, hurl, dash, cast, launch, fling, throw:

summā telum librabat ab aure,

Verg. A. 9, 417:

ferro praefixum robur,

id. ib. 10, 479:

caestus,

id. ib. 5, 478:

tum librat ab aure intorquens jaculum,

Sil. 5, 576:

dextra libratum fulmen ab aure misit,

Ov. M. 2, 311; 5, 624; 7, 787; Luc. 3, 433:

librata cum sederit glans,

Liv. 38, 29: librare se, to balance or poise one's self, to fly:

cursum in aëre,

Ov. Am. 2, 6, 11: saepe lapillos Tollunt;

his sese per inania nubila librant,

Verg. G. 4, 196:

haliaeetos librans ex alto sese,

Plin. 10, 3, 3, § 8:

corpus in herba,

to stretch one's self out on the grass, Ov. F. 1, 429: incidentis manus libratur artifici temperamento, Plin. 12, 25, 54, § 115:

librare iter,

to take one's way, Sen. Oed. 899.—

III.

Trop.

A.

To make of even weight, to balance, make equal ( poet. ):

orbem horis,

Col. 10, 42:

crimina in antithetis,

Pers. 1, 85.—

B.

To weigh, ponder, consider ( poet. and in post-class. prose):

librabat metus,

Stat. Th. 9, 165: quae omnia meritorum momenta perpendit, librat, examinat, Naz. Pan. ad Const. 7: praescriptiones, Cod. Th. 8, 4, 26.— Hence, lībrātus, a, um, P. a.

A.

Level, horizontal:

aquam non esse libratam, sed sphaeroides habere schema,

Vitr. 8, 6.—

B.

Poised, balanced, swung, hurled, launched; forcible, powerful:

librata cum sederit (glans),

Liv. 38, 29:

librato magis et certo ictu,

violent, powerful, Tac. H. 2, 22:

malleus dextra libratus ab aure,

Ov. M. 2, 624:

per nubes aquila librata volatu,

Sil. 15, 429. — Comp.:

libratior ictus,

Liv. 30, 10; cf. id. 42, 65.—Hence, * adv.: lībrātē, deliberately:

aliquid eligere,

Serv. Verg. A. 2, 713.