lībo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [root λιβ-, λειβω, λοιβή; cf. Līber, delibutus, etc.], to take a little from any thing.
I Lit.
A In gen.: libare gramina dentibus, to crop , Calp. Ecl. 5, 51.—
B In partic.
1 To take a taste of a thing, to taste : jecur, Liv. 25, 16: pocula Bacchi, Verg. A. 3, 354: flumina libant Summa leves, to sip , id. G. 4, 54.—
b Poet., to touch a thing: cibos digitis, Ov. A. A. 1, 577: summam celeri pede libat harenam, id. M. 10, 653: cellulae limen, Petr. 136: oscula alicujus, to kiss , Verg. A. 1, 256.—
2 To pour out in honor of a deity, to make a libation of any thing: duo rite mero libans carchesia Baccho, Verg. A. 5, 77: carchesia patri, Val. Fl. 5, 274: Oceano libemus, Verg. G. 4, 381: in mensam laticum libavit honorem, id. A. 1, 740: pateris altaria libant, sprinkle , id. ib. 12, 174: sepulcrum mei Tlepolemi tuo luminum cruore libabo, Ap. Met. 8, 12, 19.—
b To pour out or forth : rorem in tempora nati, Val. Fl. 4, 15.—
3 To pour out as an offering, to offer, dedicate, consecrate : certasque fruges certasque bacas sacerdotes publice libanto, Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 19: diis dapes, Liv. 39, 43: uvam, Tib. 1, 11, 21: frugem Cereri, Ov. M. 8, 274: noluit bibere, sed libavit eam (aquam) Domino, Vulg. 2 Reg. 23, 16. — Absol., to offer libations : libant diis alienis, Vulg. Jer. 7, 18: Domino, id. 2 Reg. 23, 16: cum solemni die Jovi libaretur, Gell. 12, 8, 2.—So poet.: carmen aris, Prop. 4 (5), 6, 8: Celso lacrimas libamus adempto, Ov. P. 1, 9, 41.—
4 To lessen, diminish, impair by taking away: ergo terra tibi libatur et aucta recrescit, Lucr. 5, 260; id. 5, 568: virginitatem, Ov. H. 2, 115: vires, Liv. 21, 29.—
II Trop., to take out, cull, extract from any thing (rare but class.): ex variis ingeniis excellentissima quaeque libavimus, Cic. Inv. 2, 2, 4; cf. id. Tusc. 5, 29, 82: qui tuo nomini velis ex aliorum laboribus libare laudem, Auct. Her. 4, 3, 5: libandus est etiam ex omni genere urbanitatis facetiarum quidem lepos, Cic. de Or. 1, 34, 159: a qua (natura deorum) haustos animos et libatos habemus, id. Div. 1, 49, 110: unde (i. e. ex divinitate) omnes animos haustos, aut acceptos, aut libatos haberemus, id. ib. 2, 11, 26: neque ea, ut sua, possedisse, sed ut aliena libāsse. id. de Or. 1, 50, 218.—
B To learn something of, acquire superficially : sed eum (informamus) qui quasdam artes haurire, omnes libare debet, Tac. Dial. 31 fin.