spīro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [etym. dub.].
I Neutr. , to breathe , blow , etc. (cf. flo).
A Lit.
1 In gen. (only poet. and in postAug. prose): freta circum Fervescunt graviter spirantibus incita flabris, Lucr. 6, 428; Ov. M. 7, 532: obturatis, quā spiraturus est ventus, cavernis, Plin. 8, 38, 58, § 138: emicat ex oculis, spiratque e pectore flamma, breathes forth , bursts forth , Ov. M. 8, 356: aequatae spirant aurae, Verg. A. 5, 844: graviter spirantis copia thymbrae, strongscented , Verg. G. 4, 31; cf.: semper odoratis spirabunt floribus arae, Stat. S. 3, 3, 211: seu spirent cinnama surdum, emit a slight fragrance , Pers. 6, 35: quā vada non spirant, nec fracta remurmurat unda, roar , rage , Verg. A. 10, 291; cf.: fervet fretis spirantibus aequor, boiling up , foaming , id. G. 1, 327.—
2 In partic., to breathe , draw breath , respire (the class. signif. of the word; cf. anhelo): cum spirantes mixtas hinc ducimus auras, Lucr. 6, 1129: quae deseri a me, dum quidem spirare potero, nefas judico, Cic. N. D. 3, 40, 94: ne spirare quidem sine metu possunt, id. Rosc. Am. 23, 65; id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 1: vehementer et crebro spirare, Cels. 2, 4: querulum spirat, breathes plaintively , Mart. 2, 26, 1.—
b Transf.
α Like the Engl. to breathe , = to live , be alive (usu. in the part. pres. ): sunt qui ab eo (Clodio) spirante forum putent potuisse defendi, cujus non restiterit cadaveri curia (corresp. to vivus), Cic. Mil. 33, 91: ut in vivi etiam et spirantis capite bustum imponeret, id. Dom. 52, 134; cf.: margarita viva ac spirantia saxis avelli, Tac. Agr. 12 fin. : Catilina inter hostium cadavera repertus est, paululum etiam spirans, Sall. C. 61, 4: spirantia consulit exta, still panting , Verg. A. 4, 64: artus, Luc. 3, 732: corpora, id. 1, 363: non sunt ausi admovere (corpori), velut spiranti, manus, Curt. 10, 10, 13; Sil. 2, 430; cf. in verb. finit. : spirant venae corque adhuc paviduin salit, Sen. Thyest. 756.—*
β Of aspirated letters: quibus (litteris) nullae apud eos dulcius spirant, sound , Quint. 12, 10, 27.—
B Trop.
1 (Acc. to I. A. 1.) To be favorable , to favor (the fig. taken from a favorable wind): quod si tam facilis spiraret Cynthia nobis, Prop. 2, 24 (3, 18), 5: di maris et terrae ... spirate secundi, Verg. A. 3, 529.—
2 (Acc. to I. A. 2.) To breathe , live , be alive : videtur Laelii mens spirare etiam in scriptis, Galbae autem vis occidisse, Cic. Brut. 24, 94; cf.: spirat adhuc amor Vivuntque calores Aeoliae puellae, Hor. C. 4, 9, 10.—Of life-like representations by painting, sculpture, etc.: excudent alii spirantia mollius aera, Verg. A. 6, 847: Parii lapidis spirantia signa, id. G. 3, 34: spirat et arguta picta tabella manu, Mart. 7, 84, 2; 11, 10, 7.—
3 To be poetically inspired , to have the lyric spirit : quod spiro, et placeo, si placeo, tuum est, Hor. C. 4, 3, 24 (Orell. ad loc.).—
4 Spirare alte, altius, to be puffed up , proud , or arrogant , Flor. 2, 2, 27: Eusebium alte spirantem addixere poenae, Amm. 22, 3, 12.—
II Act. , to breathe out , exhale , emit (mostly poet. and post-Aug.; not in Cic.; syn. exhalo).
A Lit.: Diomedis equi spirantes naribus ignem, Lucr. 5, 29: flammam spirantes ore Chimaerae, id. 2, 705; so, flammas spirantes boves, Liv. 22, 17: flamina, Ov. F. 4, 18: Zephyros spirare secundos, Verg. A. 4, 562: tenuem animam, to breathe feebly , Val. Fl. 4, 436: ambrosiaeque comae divinum vertice odorem Spiravere, exhaled , Verg. A. 1, 404; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 81.—
B Trop., to breathe forth , exhale : pinguia Poppaeana, Juv. 6, 466: mendacia, id. 7, 111: ut vidit vastos telluris hiatus Divinam spirare fidem (i. e. oracula), Luc. 5, 83.—
2 To breathe into : ficto Corpori animam, Lact. 2, 11, 3.—
3 Transf., like the Engl. to breathe , i. e. to be full of; to show , express , manifest; to design , intend a thing (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): tantum spirantes aequo certamine bellum. Lucr. 5, 392: mollem spirare quietem, Prop. 1, 3, 7: quae spirabat amores, Hor. C. 4, 13, 19: inquietum hominem et tribunatum etiam nunc spirantem, Liv. 3, 46: fratris facta spirans, imitating , Sil. 15, 411; cf.: fratrem spirat in armis, id. 3, 740: spirantes proelia dira effigies, id. 17, 398.— Often with neutr. adj. used adverb.: magnum, Prop. 2, 15 (3, 7), 53: majora, Curt. 6, 9, 11: immane, Verg. A. 7, 510: tragicum satis, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 166; cf. id. C. 4, 3, 24: quiddam indomitum, Flor. 1, 22, 1: cruenta, Amm. 16, 1, 5.