verb transitive intransitive #2601

dēfĭcĭo

2nd PP dē-fĭcere · 3rd PP dēfēci · 4th PP dēfectum · conj. 3rd-io

(perf. subj.: defexit, an old formula in Liv. 1, 24 fin., see below, no. III. fin. In the pass., besides the regular form deficior, ante- and postclass., once in Verg., Propert., and Livy, like fīo, eri: defit, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19; Plaut. Mil. 4, 6, 46; Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 12; Lucr. 2, 1142; Verg. E. 2, 22; Prop. 1, 1, 34: deflunt, Gell. 20, 8, 5: defiat, Plaut. Men. 1, 4, 3; id. Rud. 4, 4, 63: defiet, Liv. 9, 11: defieri, Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 2; cf. conficio init.)

to loosen, set free, remove from;; to loosen from one's self, to remove one's self, to break loose from;; to leave, desert

facio, orig., to loosen, set free, remove from; but it passed over at a very early period into the middle sense, to loosen from one's self, to remove one's self, to break loose from; and then gradually assumed the character of a new verb. act., with the meaning to leave, desert, depart from something, or absol., to depart, cease, fail. (For syn. cf.: desum, absum, descisco, negligo.)

to remove one's self, separate one's self, to withdraw; to forsake, desert, abandon, revolt active

Act. in the middle sense, to remove one's self, separate one's self, to withdraw (cf. the Greek ἀφιστάναι).—Hence, to forsake, desert, abandon, revolt.

ab amicitia P. R., Caes. B. G. 5, 3, 3; 7, 39, 3: ab Aeduis, id. ib. 2, 14, 3:… literal ••

Lit.: ab amicitia P. R., Caes. B. G. 5, 3, 3; 7, 39, 3: ab Aeduis, id. ib. 2, 14, 3: ab rege, Sall. J. 56, 3; cf. ib. 66: (consules) a senatu, a republica, a bonis omnibus defecerant, Cic. Planc. 35; cf.: a republica, id. Cat. 11, 28; id. Fam. 12, 10; id. Sull. 12, 35: ab imperio ac nomine nostro, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 31 et saep.: a patribus ad plebem, to go over, Liv. 6, 20: ad se, Sall. J. 61; cf.: ad Poenos, Liv. 22, 61.—Absol.: civitates quae defecerant, Caes. B. G. 3, 17, 2; 5, 25, 4; 7, 10 al.—

si a virtute defeceris, forsake, Cic. Lael. 11, 37: si utilitas ab amicitia… figuratively •

Trop.: si a virtute defeceris, forsake, Cic. Lael. 11, 37: si utilitas ab amicitia defecerit, id. Fin. 2, 24, 79: ut a me ipse deficerem, id. Fam. 2, 16.—Hence,

verb. act., to leave; to desert, to fail, forsake, be wanting to; is eclipsed poetic ••

As a verb. act., to leave a person or thing, to desert, to fail, forsake, be wanting to (of things; very rarely of personal subjects): quem jam sanguis viresque deficiunt, Caes. B. G. 7, 50 fin.; so, vires, id. B. C. 3, 99 fin.; Cic. de Or. 1, 45, 199: me Leontina civitas, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 46, § 110; id. ib. 2, 5, 28 fin.; Hor. S. 2, 1, 13 et saep.: res eos jam pridem, fides deficere nuper coepit, Cic. Cat. 2, 5, 10: me dies, vox, latera deficiant, si, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 21 (imitated word for word, Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 9); cf.: ne te de republica disserentem deficiat oratio, Cic. Rep. 1, 23; and: tempus te citius quam oratio deficeret, id. Rosc. Am. 32: animus si te non deficit aequus, Hor. Ep. 1, 11, 30: somnus sollicitas domus, Tib. 3, 4, 20: genitor Phaethontis orbem, i. e. is eclipsed (cf. III. B. infra), Ov. M. 2, 382.—Poet. with a subject-clause: nec me deficiet nautas rogitare citatos, i. e. I will not cease, etc. Prop. 1, 8, 23 Kuin.—

cum aquilifer jam viribus deficeretur, Caes. B. C. 3, 64, 3; cf.: mulier a… passive ••

Pass.: cum aquilifer jam viribus deficeretur, Caes. B. C. 3, 64, 3; cf.: mulier a menstruis defecta, Cels. 2, 8 fin.: mulier abundat audacia, consilio et ratione deficitur, Cic. Clu. 65, 184: aqua ciboque defecti, Quint. 3, 8, 23; Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 25: sanguine defecti artus, Ov. M. 5, 96 et saep.: si qui dotem promisit defectus sit facultatibus, i. e. unable to pay, Dig. 23, 3, 33; cf.: te defecta nomina, ib. 22, 1, 11 fin.—

to run out, be wanting, fail, cease, disappear

Middle or neuter, to run out, be wanting, fail, cease, disappear.

Middle (mostly ante-class. and poet.). poetic

Middle (mostly ante-class. and poet.).

With dat.: mihi fortuna magis nunc defit, quam genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3,… with dative •

With dat.: mihi fortuna magis nunc defit, quam genus, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 19; Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 2: lac mihi non aestate novum, non frigore defit, Verg. E. 2, 22.—

no absol ••

Absol.: neque opsonium defiat neque supersit, Plaut. Men. 1, 4, 3; so opp. superesse, Ter. Ph. 1, 3, 10: ut defiat dies, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 63: id. Mil. 4, 6, 46: numquamne causa defiet, cur? etc., Liv. 9, 11.—Trop.: defectis (sc. animo) defensoribus, disheartened, Caes. B. C. 3, 40, 3: sed non usque eo defectum Germanicum, weakened, Tac. A. 2, 70; cf. in the foll. no. B. β.—

Neuter.

N. cr.; poetic •

With dat. (so rarely; mostly poet.): cum non solum vires, sed etiam tela nostris deficerent, Caes. B. G. 3, 5, 1; so perh.: vires nostris, id. B. C. 2, 41, 7 (al. nostros); Sil. 8, 661 Oud. N. cr.; cf. id. 10, 10, 193; and Stat. Ach. 1, 445.—

to set; waning; fire absol •••

Absol. (freq. in all periods and kinds of composition): non frumentum deficere poterat, Caes. B. C. 2, 37 fin.; cf.: fructus ex arboribus, id. ib. 3, 58 fin.: ejus generis copia, id. B. G. 6, 16 fin.: tempus anni ad bellum gerendum, id. ib. 4, 20, 2: vereor, ne mihi crimina non suppeterent, ne oratio deesset, ne vox viresque deficerent, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 11: nisi memoria forte defecerit, id. Fin. 2, 14, 44; id. Rep. 1, 3: non deficiente crumena, Hor. Ep. 1, 4, 11 et saep.; Juv. 11, 38: quod plena luna defecisset, was eclipsed, Cic. Rep. 1, 15; cf.: solem lunae oppositum solere deficere, id. ib. 1, 16 al.; also simply to set: qua venit exoriens, qua deficit, Prop. 4, 4, 27: lunā deficiente, waning (opp. crescente), Gell. 20, 8, 5; of fire and light, to go out, expire, become extinct: ignis, Verg. G. 352: lumen, Petr. 111, 4: progenies Caesarum in Nerone deficit, becomes extinct, dies out, Suet. Galb. 1; cf. Plin. Pan. 39, 6; Just. 7, 2, 4; Sen. Suas. 2, 22; but deficit ignis, does not extend, Verg. A. 2, 505: in hac voce defecit, he departed, expired, Suet. Aug. 99; Quint. 6 prooem. § 11: deficit omne quod nascitur, comes to an end, Quint. 5, 10, 79; cf.: mundum deficere, id. ib.: deficit vita, Plaut. Asin. 3, 3, 19; quod multi Gallicis tot bellis defecerant, had been lost, Caes. B. C. 3, 2 fin.: ultima jam passi comites bello Deficiunt, grow faint, Ov. M. 14, 483: deficit Matho, fails, becomes bankrupt, Juv. 7, 129: debitores, Dig. 49, 14, 3, § 8: munimenta defecerant, yielded, surrendered, Curt. 4, 4, 19.—Trop.: ne negotio desisteret neu animo deficeret, nor be disheartened, Caes. B. C. 3, 112 fin.; so, animo, id. B. G. 7, 30; id. B. C. 1, 19; 2, 43; Cic. Rosc. Am. 4, 10; for which, ne deficiant (apes) animum, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 34; and in a like sense absol.: ne una plaga accepta patres conscripti conciderent, ne deficerent, Cic. Att. 1, 16, 9; so Caes. B. C. 2, 31 fin.; Sall. J. 51, 4: deficit ars, Ov. M. 11, 537: illis legibus populus Romanus prior non deficiet: si prior defexit publico consilio dolo malo, tu illo die, Juppiter, etc., to depart from, violate the conditions of a treaty, an old formula used in taking an oath, Liv. 1, 24 fin.: pugnando deficere, i. e. to be deficient, wanting, Caes. B. C. 2, 6, 3; cf. poet. with foll. inf.: suppeditare Materies, Lucr. 1, 1039; Sil. 3, 112; Tib. 4, 1, 191.— Hence, dēfectus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to no. III.), weak, weakened, worn out, enfeebled (not ante-Aug.): quod sibi defectis illa tulisset opem, Ov. F. 3, 674: defectus annis et desertus viribus, Phaedr. 1, 21, 3; cf.: defectissimus annis et viribus, Col. 1 prooem. § 12: senio (arbor), id. 5, 6, 37: laboribus, Val. Fl. 2, 285: vadit incerto pede, jam viribus defecta, Sen. Hippol. 374: defectae senectutis homine, Dig. 7, 1, 12, § 3: in tumidis et globosis (speculis) omnia defectiora (corresp. with paria and auctiora), smaller, App. Mag. p. 283.—Plur. subst.: dēfecti, ōrum, m.: sidera obscura attributa defectis, the weak, Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 28.

Perseus ID: n12687 Key: deficio