titubo

tĭtŭbo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a., to stagger, totter, reel.

I.

Lit. (rare; cf.: vacillo, labo);

of drunken persons: Silenus titubans annisque meroque,

Ov. M. 11, 90:

mero somnoque gravis titubare videtur,

id. ib. 3, 608; 4, 26; 15, 331; cf.:

titubans pes,

Phaedr. 4, 14, 12:

vestigia titubata,

tottering, Verg. A. 5, 332:

titubat lingua,

stammers, stutters, Ov. A. A. 1, 598.—

II.

Trop., to hesitate, falter, waver, be in suspense, be embarrassed or perplexed (class.):

Licinius titubans,

Cic. Cael. 28, 66:

cave ne titubes mandataque frangas, Hor Ep. 1, 13, 19 Orell. ad loc.: fac titubet blaeso subdola lingua sono,

Ov. A. A. 1, 598:

erubuisse, expalluisse, titubasse,

Auct. Her. 2, 5, 8:

testes, si verbo titubarint,

Cic. Fl. 10, 22:

at vide, ne titubes,

Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 32; id. Mil. 2, 2, 93:

lacrumans titubanti animo, corde et pectore,

id. ib. 1, 1, 43:

hic omnibus titubantibus et de rebus summis desperantibus,

Nep. Eum. 9, 2:

quid agat, ne quid titubet,

Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 75:

verum illa ne quid titubet,

Ter. Heaut. 2, 3, 120; Quint. 5, 7, 11:

nihil,

Cic. Att. 2, 9, 2; cf. impers. pass.:

ne quid titubetur,

Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 70:

si quid forte titubatum est, ut fit in bello,

Cic. Fam. 12, 10, 2:

versus debilitatur, in quācumque ejus sit parte titubatum,

id. de Or. 3, 50, 192.—Hence, tĭtŭbanter, adv., loosely, totteringly.

A.

Lit.:

lapis, quem artifex titubanter aptaverat fundae,

Amm. 24, 4, 28. —

B.

Trop., hesitatingly, falteringly:

titubanter et inconstanter loqui de aliquā re,

Auct. Her. 4, 41, 53:

titubanter et strictim,

Cic. Cael. 7, 15.