hĕbĕto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [hebes], to make blunt or dull, to blunt, dull, dim, deaden, weaken (perh. not ante-Aug.; not in Cic.).
I Lit.: hastas, Liv. 8, 10, 3: vulneribus suis ferrum hostium, id. 30, 35, 8: tela, Sil. 16, 105: aciem oculorum, Plin. 20, 6, 21, § 47: oculos, Lact. 6, 2: visus alicui, Verg. A. 2, 605: dies hebetarat sidera, had dimmed , Ov. M. 5, 444: umbra terrae lunam hebetari, Plin. 2, 13, 10, § 57; cf.: smaragdos in sole hebetari, id. 37, 5, 18, § 69; 28, 7, 23, § 79: auster aures hebetat, Cels. 2, 1: primores dentes mollientes aut hebetantes verba, Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 70: cummium genera amaritudines hebetant, moderate , lessen , id. 24, 11, 64, § 105; cf.: venena omnia (oleum), id. 23, 4, 40, § 80: odor suavior e longinquo, propius admotus hebetatur, id. 21, 7, 18, § 35: faba hebetare sensus existimata, id. 18, 12, 30, § 118: vos mihi taurorum flammas hebetastis, quenched the fiery breath , Ov. M. 7, 210.—
II Trop., to dull , blunt , make stupid : animo simul et corpore hebetato, Suet. Claud. 2: Lethe hebetans pectora, Ov. P. 4, 1, 17: hebetatum ingenium, Plin. Ep. 8, 14, 9: rei publicae vires hebetatae sunt, Just. 6, 8: vino tristitia et cura hebetatur, Plin. 23, 1, 22, § 38.