(verb) : marcĕo, ēre, Sanscr. root mar, die; Gr. μαραίνω, μαρασμός; cf. also morbus, morior
* To wither, droop, shrink, shrivel
* Lit. (poet.): marcebant coronae, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 244: silva comis,Stat. S. 5, 5, 29.
* 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.—Hence, marcens, entis, P. a., withering, drooping, feeble, wasted away, exhausted, weak, languid, indolent (mostly poet.).
* Lit.: marcentes coronae, Claud. Epithal. Pall. et Celer. 96: marcentes tibi porrigentur uvae,Mart. 5, 78, 12: bracchia marcentia vino,Col. 10, 428.
* 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.

s. TLL