libro

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

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.

Latin > French (Gaffiot 2016)

lībrō,¹¹ āvī, ātum, āre (libra), tr.,
1 peser avec la balance, [d’où] peser [fig.] : Pers. 1, 86 ; Stat. Th. 9, 166
2 mettre de niveau : pavimenta Cato Agr. 18, 7, mettre une aire de niveau ; aquam Vitr. Arch. 8, 6, 3, déterminer le niveau de l’eau || mettre en équilibre, balancer : quibus librata ponderibus (terra) Cic. Tusc. 5, 69, [chercher] par quels poids la terre se tient en équilibre, cf. Ov. M. 1, 13 ; librari medio spatio tellurem Plin. 2, 10, que la terre se tient en équilibre au milieu de l’espace ; geminas libravit in alas suum corpus Ov. M. 8, 201, il se balança en équilibre sur les deux ailes || [fig.] Tac. H. 1, 16
3 balancer, lancer en balançant : summa telum ab aure Virg. En. 9, 417, balancer un trait à la hauteur de l’oreille ; glans librata Liv. 38, 29, 6, le projectile balancé par la fronde] ; per inania nubila sese librare Virg. G. 4, 196, s’élancer dans le vide des airs, cf. Plin. 10, 8 || corpus in herba Ov. F. 1, 429, marcher sur l’herbe avec précaution, s’avancer en se balançant || vela librantur ab aura dubia Ov. F. 3, 585, les voiles se balancent (oscillent) sous le souffle hésitant du vent.