(adj.adv.) : cădūcus, a, um, adj.cado.
* That falls or has fallen, falling, fallen (mostly poet.): bacae glandesque caducae, * Lucr. 5, 1362; cf. Dig. 50, 16, 30: glans caduca est, quae ex arbore cecidit: oleae,Cato, R. R. 23, 2: spica,that fell in mowing,Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 12: aqua,id. ib. 3, 5, 2: aquae,Ov. P. 2, 7, 39: frondes,Verg. G. 1, 368: frons,Ov. M. 7, 840; id. Tr. 3, 1, 45: folia,id. Am. 2, 16, 45: lacrimae,id. M. 6, 396: poma,Prop. 2, 32, 40: oliva,Col. 12, 52, 22: fulmen,Hor. C. 3, 4, 44: te, triste lignum, te caducum In domini caput immerentis,id. ib. 2, 13, 11; cf. ligna,Varr. L. L. 6, § 66 Müll.: tela,Prop. 4 (5), 2, 53. moro coma nigrior caduco,Mart. 8, 64, 7.
* Caduca auspicia dicunt cum aliquid in templo excidit, veluti virga e manu, Paul. ex Fest. p. 64, 9 Müll.
* Inclined to fall, that easily falls (rare): vitis, quae naturā caduca est et, nisi fulta sit, ad terram fertur,Cic. Sen. 15, 52; cf. id. ib. 2, 5. —Hence
* In gen., devoted to death, destined to die: juvenis,Verg. A. 10, 622.
* Esp., in medic. lang.: homo, epileptic, Firm. Math. 3, 6, n. 8; Aemil. Mac. c. de Paeonia: equus,Veg. 1, 25, 2: asellus morbo detestabili caducus,App. M. 9, p. 236, 12: morbus,the falling sickness, epilepsy,App. Herb. 60; Aemil. Mac. c. Aristoloch.; Isid. Orig. 14, 7, 5.
* Trop.
* In gen., frail, fleeting, perishable, transitory, vain (class., esp. in prose): in eo, qui ex animo constet et corpus caducus et infirmus,Cic. N. D. 1, 35, 98: ignis,quickly extinguished,Sen. Q. N. 2, 23, 2: res humanae fragiles caducaeque,Cic. Lael. 27, 102: quis confidit semper sibi illud stabile et firmum permansurum, quod fragile et caducum sit, id. Fin. 2, 27, 86: nihil nisi mortale et caducum praeter animos,id. Rep. 6, 17, 17: alia omnia incerta sunt, caduca, mobilia; virtus est una altissimis defixa radicibus,id. Phil. 4, 5, 13; id. Lael. 6, 20; id. Dom. 58, 146: tituli,Plin. Pan. 55, 8: tempus,id. Ep. 3, 7, 14: labores,id. ib. 9, 3, 2: fama,Ov. P. 4, 8, 46: spes,vain, futile,id. M. 9, 597: preces,ineffectual,id. F. 1, 181: pars voti,id. Ib. 88.
* Esp., in law, caduca bona were those possessions which did not fall to the heir mentioned in a will, because he was childless, but passed to other heirs (in default of such, to the exchequer); vacant, having no heir (cf. Hugo, Rechtsgesch. p. 760 sq.): quod quis sibi testamento relictum, ita ut jure civili capere possit, aliquă ex causă deinde non ceperit, caducum appellatur, veluti ceciderit ab eo, etc., Ulp. Lib. Regul. tit. 10: hereditates,Cic. Phil. 10, 5, 11; Cod. Th. 10, 10, 30 pr.; Dig. 22, 5, 9: portio, Gai Inst. 2, 206.—As subst.: cădūcum, i, n., property without an heir, an unowned eslate: legatum omne capis nec non et dulce caducum,Juv. 9, 88: caduca occupare,Just. 19, 3, 6: vindicare, Gal Inst. 2, 207.
* Transf., of other things: nostra est omnis ista prudentiae doctrinaeque possessio, in quam homines, quasi caducam atque vacuam, abundantes otio, nobis occupatis, involaverunt,Cic. de Or. 3, 31, 122 (no comp. or sup.).—Hence, adv.: cădū-cĭter, precipitately, headlong: caduciter = praecipitanter; Varro: aquai caduciter ruentis,Non. p. 91, 1 sq.

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