ambigo

A New Latin Dictionary by Charlton T. Lewis Ph.D. and Charles Short, LL. D.

amb-ĭgo, ĕre (perf. tense not used), v. n. [ago].

I Lit., to go about or around : ambigens patriam et declinans, Tac. A. 6, 15 fin.

II Trop., to wander about; to waver , hesitate , be undecided , to doubt , be in suspense (syn. dubito; class., but mostly in prose).—In this sense in Cic. either impers. or pass.

a Impers. : Quale quid sit, ambigitur, is uncertain , Cic. de Or. 2, 26: omnis res eandem habet naturam ambigendi, de quā disceptari potest, i. e. admits of arguments for and against , id. ib. 3, 29: ambigitur, quotiens uter utro sit prior, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 55: de nomine ipso ambigi video, Plin. 33, 1, 4, § 10: adspici aliquando eam volucrem, non ambigitur, it cannot be doubted , Tac. A. 6, 28.—

b Personal : cui rei primum occurreret, ambigebat, Just. 29, 4: Alexandrum regnum Asiae occupaturum haud ambigere, Curt. 3, 3; Tac. A. 12, 65: causa, de quā tu ambigis, Gell. 14, 2: ambigebant de illis, Vulg. Act. 5, 24.—

c Pass. : ambigitur status, in quo etc., Lucr. 3, 1074: in eo jure, quod ambigitur inter peritissimos, of which there is a doubt , Cic. de Or. 1, 57; 2, 24: in eis causis, quae propter scriptum ambiguntur, id. ib. 2, 26.—

III Transf.

A To argue , debate about something : ut inter eos, qui ambigunt, conveniat, quid sit id, de quo agatur, Cic. Fin. 2, 2: ambigere de vero, id. Or. 36.—

B To contend , dispute , wrangle , etc.: vicini nostri ambigunt de finibus, * Ter. Heaut. 499: ambigunt agnati cum eo, qui est heres, Cic. Inv. 2, 42: de fundo, id. Caecin. 8: de hereditate, id. Verr. 2, 1, 45: de regno, Liv. 40, 15.

Related Words