incumbo, cŭbŭi, cŭbĭtum, ĕre, v. n. [1. incubo], to lay one’s self upon, to lean or recline upon a thing (cf. ingruo; class., partic. in the trop. sense).
I Lit., constr. with in , ad , super , or dat.; also with the simple acc.: olivae, Verg. E. 8, 16: in parietem, Dig. 39, 2, 28: densis ordinibus nunc alii in alios, nunc in scuta incumbentes sustinebant impetus Romanorum, Liv. 35, 5, 7: toro, Verg. A. 4, 650: materiae, Curt. 8, 10, 25: terrae, Tac. A. 2, 17: super praedam, to lie upon , Petr. 80: in eum, Curt. 6, 9: ad vos, Ov. M. 9, 385: cumulatis in aqua sarcinis insuper incumbebant, Liv. 22, 2, 8: validis incumbere remis, Verg. A. 5, 15; 10, 294; Curt. 9, 9, 4.—Of the heavens: cava in se convexitas vergit, et cardini suo, hoc est terrae, undique incumbit, Plin. 2, 64, 64, § 160: mare, to cast itself into the sea , id. 5, 32, 40, § 141: fessi arma sua, Sall. Fragm. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 9, 229: tecto incubuit bubo, perched on , Ov. M. 6, 432: gladium faciam culcitam, camque incumbam, Plaut. Cas. 2, 4, 29.—
B Transf., to lean or incline towards , to overhang; to rush towards : silex prona jugo laevum incumbebat ad amnem, Verg. A. 8, 236: laurus incumbens arae, id. ib. 2, 514: in gladium, to fall on one’s sword , Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 154: gladio, Auct. Her. 1, 11, 18: ferro, Phaedr. 3, 10, 33: in hostem, to press upon the enemy , Liv. 30, 34, 2; cf.: duo duces circumstare urbem ... et unum in locum totam periculi molem, omne onus incubuisse, id. 27, 40, 6.—
II Trop.
A To press upon , burden , oppress , weigh upon : incubuere (venti) mari, Verg. A. 1, 84: tempestas a vertice silvis incubuit, id. G. 2, 311: gravis incumbens scopulis aestas, id. ib. 2, 377: febrium terris incubuit cohors, Hor. C. 1, 3, 30: (aestus) incubuit populo, Lucr. 6, 142. — Absol. : saevior armis Luxuria incubuit, Just. 6, 292.—
B To bend one’s attention to , to apply or devote one’s self to , to exert one’s self , or take pains with , pay attention to; constr. with in , ad , or dat.: rogandis legibus, Flor. 3, 16: ceris et stilo, Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 9: labori, Sil. 4, 820: toto pectore novae cogitationi, Tac. Or. 3: et animo et opibus in bellum, Caes. B. G. 7, 76: ut jam inclinato (judici) reliqua incumbat oratio, press upon , exert influence on , Cic. de Or. 2, 79, 324; cf.: invidia mihi incumbit, Tac. A. 14, 54: in aliquod studium, Cic. de Or. 1, 8, 34: in causam, id. Phil. 4, 5, 12: acrius graviusque ad ulciscendas rei publicae injurias, id. ib. 6, 1, 2: tota mente in aliquam curam et cogitationem, id. Fam. 10, 3, 3: toto pectore ad laudem, id. ib. 10, 12, 2: omni cogitatione curaque in rem publicam, id. ib. 1, 2: fato urguenti incumbere, to press on , hasten , Verg. A. 2, 653.—With inf.: sarcire ruinas, Verg. G. 4, 249: delatorem pervertere, Tac. H. 2, 10.—With ut and subj.: Appius Claudius ... cum suis tum totius nobilitatis viribus incubuit, ut, etc., Liv. 10, 15, 8.— Absol. : nunc, nunc incumbere tempus, Ov. M. 10, 657.—
C To incline , choose , be inclined to , lean towards : hoc servi esse officium reor, ... non quo incumbat eum (i. e. erum) inpellere, Plaut. Aul. 4, 1, 8: ut eos, qui audiunt, quocumque incubuerit, possit impellere, whithersoever he may incline , choose , Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 55: eodem incumbunt municipia, are inclined the same way , id. Phil. 6, 7, 18: ad voluntatem perferendae legis, id. Att. 1, 19, 4: voluntatum inclinatio ad virum bonum, to lean towards , turn to , id. Mur. 26, 53: in causam, Cael. ad Cic. Fam. 8, 11, 3: in cupiditatem, Cic. Att. 5, 13, 3: in illo, id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 6.—
D To be incumbent upon one as a duty (post-class.): accusandi necessitas domino, Dig. 48, 2, 5: ei probatio, ib. 22, 3, 2: judici omnium rerum officium, ib. 21, 1, 25.