sĕnesco, nŭi, 3 (
* Gerundive: senescendi homines,Varr. L. L. 6, § 11 Müll. N. cr.), v. inch. n. [seneo], to grow old, become aged; to grow hoary.
* Lit. (rare): ita sensim aetas senescit,Cic. Sen. 11, 38; cf.: tempora labuntur tacitisque senescimus annis,Ov. F. 6, 771: senescente jam Graeciā,Cic. Rep. 1, 37, 58: solve senescentem mature equum,Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 8: arbores senescunt,Plin. 16, 27, 50, § 116: Solon significat se cottidie aliquid addiscentem senescere. Val. Max. 8, 7, 14.—In perf.: avus (Augusti) tranquillissime senuit,Suet. Aug. 2: ego senui et progressioris aetatis sum,Vulg. Josne, 23, 2.—In gerundive: longissimum spatium senescendorum hominum id (seclum) putarant, Varr. L. L. 6, § 11 Müll. N. cr.
* Transf.
* For the usual consenescere, to grow old or gray in an occupation, etc., i. e. to linger too long over it: inani circa voces studio senescunt,Quint. 8 prooem. § 8.
* (Causa pro effectu.) To decay or diminish in strength; to grow weak, feeble, or powerless; to waste away, fall off, wane, decline, etc. (the prevailing signif. of the word in prose and poetry; cf. consenesco; while inveterasco is to grow better by age).
* Of living subjects (a favorite expression of Livy; perh. not in Cic., but cf. consenesco, II. 2.): Hannibalem jam et famā senescere et viribus,Liv. 29, 3 fin.; cf. of the same,id. 22, 39: otio senescere,id. 25, 7: non esse cum aegro senescendum,id. 21, 53: dis hominibusque accusandis senescere,to pine away,id. 5, 43 Drak.; cf.: amore senescit habendi,Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 85: socordiā,Tac. A. 1, 9; Val. Max. 8, 13, 7: ne (agni) desiderio senescant,Varr. R. R. 2, 2, 17.— Of doves,Col. 8, 8, 4: quod antiquatur et senescit prope interitum est,Vulg. Heb. 8, 13.
* Of things: quaedam faciunda in agris potius crescente lunā quam senescente,in the waning of the moon,Varr. R. R. 1, 37, 1; so, luna (opp. crescens),Cic. N. D. 2, 37, 95; Plin. 2, 9, 6, § 42: arbores hiemali tempore cum lunā simul senescentes,Cic. Div. 2, 14, 33: nunc pleno orbe, nunc senescente (al. senescentem) exiguo cornu fulgere lunam,Liv. 44, 37: continuā messe senescit ager,becomes exhausted, worn out,Ov. A. A. 3, 82: prata,Plin. 18, 28, 67, § 259: uniones, i. e. grow pale or dim, id. 9, 35, 56, § 115; cf. smaragdi,id. 37, 5, 18, § 70: caseus in salem,grows salt with age,id. 11, 42, 97, § 242: coma, falls out, Domit. ap. Suet. Dom. 18 fin.: monumenta virūm, decay (with delapsa), Lucr. 5, 312 et saep.: mensis senescens,drawing to an end, closing,Varr. L. L. 6, § 10 Müll.; so, hiems,Cic. N. D. 2, 19, 49.—Of abstr. things: oratorum laus senescit,Cic. Tusc. 2, 2, 5; cf.: ut laus senescens,id. de Or. 2, 2, 7: senescere civitatem otio,Liv. 1, 22, 2: omnia orta occidunt et aucta senescunt,Sall. J. 2, 3; cf. Fabri ad Sall. C. 20, 10; so, somnia,Sall. J. 35, 3: vires,id. H. Fragm. 3, 22, p. 235 Gerl.; Liv. 9, 27: Hannibalis vis,id. 25, 16: bellum,id. 28, 36; 30, 19: pugna,id. 5, 21: fama,id. 27, 20; Tac. H. 2, 24; cf. rumores,id. A. 2, 77: consilia,Liv. 35, 12: vitia (opp. maturescente virtute),id. 3, 12: invidia,id. 29, 22: fortuna (opp. florere),Vell. 2, 11, 3: amor,Ov. A. A. 3, 594.