(v. n.P. a.) : flĕo, flēvi, flētum, 2 (contr. forms flēsti, Ov. H. 5, 43; 45:
* Flēmus,Prop. 2, 7, 2; cf. Lachm. ad Lucr. p. 291: flērunt,Verg. G. 4, 461; Stat. S. 2, 1, 175: flēsset,id. ib. 145: flēsse,Ov. M. 6, 404; Liv. 30, 44, 7), v. n. and a. [for flev-o, root φλυ-; Gr. φλύω, to bubble up, etc.; L. fluo, fluvius, etc.; cf. Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 301 sq.].
* Neutr.
* Lit., to weep, cry, shed tears (syn.: ploro, lugeo, lacrimo): maerentes, flentes, lacrimantes, commiserantes, Enn. ap. Diom. p. 442 P. (Ann. 107 ed. Vahl.): fleo, quia dijungimur,Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 18: quin fles,id. Ps. 1, 1, 73: nimium haec flet,id. Mil. 4, 8, 14: ne fle, mulier!id. Ep. 4, 2, 31: quid fles, Asterie?Hor. C. 3, 7, 1: ille me complexus atque osculans flere prohibebat,Cic. Rep. 6, 14 fin.: haec cum pluribus verbis flens a Caesare peteret,Caes. B. G. 1, 20, 5; cf. id. ib. 7, 26, 3; id. B. C. 1, 76, 1; 3, 98, 2: deceptus quoniam flevit et ipse, deus,Prop. 2, 16 (3, 8), 54: felix qui potuit praesenti flere puellae,before, in the presence of,Prop. 1, 12, 15; cf. Tib. 1, 10, 64: o multa fleturum caput!Hor. Epod. 5, 74: lapides mehercule omnes flere et lamentari coëgisses,Cic. de Or. 1, 57, 245.—Pass. impers.: ad sepulcrum venimus: in ignem posita est: fletur,Ter. And. 1, 1, 102: minus est, quod flendum meo nomine quam quod gaudendum illius est,Quint. 6 praef. § 8; so id. 6, 2, 3; 11, 1, 52.
* Act., to weep for, bewail, lament, a person or thing; to sing mournfully (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; once in Cic.): He. Ne fle. Er. Egone illum non fleam? egone non defleam Talem adolescentem? Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 36: unicum (filium) mater,Cat. 39, 5: parentes Troĭlon,Hor. C. 2, 9, 17: Gygen,id. ib. 3, 7, 1; amissas amicitias,Cat. 96, 4: * Pisonem eis verbis flens meum casum vexavit,Cic. Sest. 28, 60: filii necem,Tac. A. 6, 10; 2, 71: suam vicem,Curt. 10, 5, 21: servitutem tristem,Phaedr. 1, 2, 6: amissum conjugem,Just. 28, 4, 4: fidem mutatosque deos,Hor. C. 1, 5, 6: moechos arrogantes,id. ib. 1, 25, 10: catellam raptam sibi,id. Ep. 1, 17, 56: amorem testudine,id. Epod. 14, 11: feralia carmina, to sing, Col. poët. 10, 350: virum,Sen. Contr. 2, 11, 1: amissum fratrem,id. ib. 4, 29, 8: adlatum ad se Pompeii caput,id. ib. 10, 32, 1.—In part. perf.: multum fleti ad superos,bewailed, lamented,Verg. A. 6, 481; Stat. Th. 4, 103.
* Of horses, to neigh: equorum greges comperit ubertim flere,Suet. Caes. 81.
* Of things, to drop, trickle (ante- and post-class.): uberibus flent omnia guttis,Lucr. 1, 349: flevit in templis ebur,Sen. Thyest. 702: imber,Prud. Cath. 5, 24.
* With object-clause: agmina septem Flebis in aeterno surda jacere situ,Prop. 1, 7, 18; Val. Fl. 1, 633.—Hence, flē-tus, a, um, P. a., weeping: mater fleta et lacrimosa,App. M. 7, p. 199 fin. (but in Lucr. 2, 631 the correct read. is sanguinolenti).

s. TLL