marcĕo, ēre, v. n. [Sanscr. root mar, die; Gr. μαραίνω, μαρασμός; cf. also morbus, morior], to wither, droop, shrink, shrivel
I Lit. (poet.): marcebant coronae, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 244: silva comis, Stat. S. 5, 5, 29.—
II Transf., to be faint, weak, drooping, feeble, languid, lazy (not in Cic. or Caes.): annis corpus jam marcet, Lucr. 3, 946: marcent luxuria, vino, et epulis per totam hiemem confecti, Liv. 23, 45: otio ac desidia corrupti marcebant, Just. 30, 1: pavore, Curt. 4, 13, 18; Vell. 2, 84: si marcet animus, si corpus torpet, Cels. 2, 2: amor, Claud. Laud. Seren. 226: juventa, Nemes. Ecl. 1, 60.
III —Hence, marcens , entis, P. a., withering, drooping, feeble, wasted away, exhausted, weak, languid, indolent (mostly poet.).
A Lit.: marcentes coronae, Claud. Epithal. Pall. et Celer. 96: marcentes tibi porrigentur uvae, Mart. 5, 78, 12: bracchia marcentia vino, Col. 10, 428.—
B Transf.: colla, Stat. Th. 2, 630: guttura, Ov. M. 7, 314: senex marcentibus annis, Sil. 15, 746: visus, Sen. Agam. 788: stomachus, Suet. Calig. 58: terga, Mart. Cap. 6, § 704.— Absol. : tostis marcentem squillis recreabis, Hor. S. 2, 4, 58: Vitellius deses et marcens, Tac. H. 3, 36: pocula, i. e. enfeebling , Stat. S. 4, 6, 56: pax, Tac. G. 36: flamma cupiditatis, Mam. Grat. Act. ad Julian. 17.