āresco, ĕre, v. n. inch. [areo], to become dry.
I Lit.: dum mea (vestimenta) arescunt, Plaut. Rud. 2, 7, 17: fluvius arescat, Vulg. Job, 14, 11: arescat aqua de mari, ib. Isa. 19, 5: arescente undā, Tac. A. 13, 57: quasi faenum, ita arescet, Vulg. Isa. 51, 12.—Of tears: cito arescit lacrima, praesertim in alienis malis, Cic. Part. Or. 17; so id. Inv. 1, 56 fin. —
II Trop., to languish.
A Of plants, to dry up , wither : nullo modo facilius arbitror posse herbas arescere et interfici, to dry up , Cic. Oecon. ap. Non. p. 450, 1; so Plin. 8, 38, 57, § 137: truncus (arboris), Tac. A. 13, 58: vitis, Vulg. Ezech. 17, 9; 17, 10: palmes, ib. Joan. 15, 6: manus (branch), ib. Job, 15, 32.—
B Of persons (eccl. Lat.), to pine away in sickness : (filius meus) stridet dentibus et arescit, Vulg. Marc. 9, 17.—So, to sink , be overcome , with fear: arescentibus hominibus prae timore, Luc. 21, 26.