tĭtŭbo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a., to stagger, totter, reel.
I Lit. (rare; cf.: vacillo, labo); of drunken persons: Silenus titubans annisque meroque, Ov. M. 11, 90: mero somnoque gravis titubare videtur, id. ib. 3, 608; 4, 26; 15, 331; cf.: titubans pes, Phaedr. 4, 14, 12: vestigia titubata, tottering , Verg. A. 5, 332: titubat lingua, stammers , stutters , Ov. A. A. 1, 598.—
II Trop., to hesitate , falter , waver , be in suspense , be embarrassed or perplexed (class.): Licinius titubans, Cic. Cael. 28, 66: cave ne titubes mandataque frangas, Hor. Ep. 1, 13, 19 Orell. ad loc.: fac titubet blaeso subdola lingua sono, Ov. A. A. 1, 598: erubuisse, expalluisse, titubasse, Auct. Her. 2, 5, 8: testes, si verbo titubarint, Cic. Fl. 10, 22: at vide, ne titubes, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 32; id. Mil. 2, 2, 93: lacrumans titubanti animo, corde et pectore, id. ib. 1, 1, 43: hic omnibus titubantibus et de rebus summis desperantibus, Nep. Eum. 9, 2: quid agat, ne quid titubet, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 75: verum illa ne quid titubet, Ter. Heaut. 361; Quint. 5, 7, 11: nihil, Cic. Att. 2, 9, 2; cf. impers. pass. : ne quid titubetur, Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 70: si quid forte titubatum est, ut fit in bello, Cic. Fam. 12, 10, 2: versus debilitatur, in quācumque ejus sit parte titubatum, id. de Or. 3, 50, 192.
III —Hence, tĭtŭbanter , adv., loosely , totteringly.
A Lit.: lapis, quem artifex titubanter aptaverat fundae, Amm. 24, 4, 28. —
B Trop., hesitatingly , falteringly : titubanter et inconstanter loqui de aliquā re, Auct. Her. 4, 41, 53: titubanter et strictim, Cic. Cael. 7, 15.