(verb) : spīro, āvi, ātum, 1, and
* A. [etym. dub.].
* Neutr., to breathe, blow, etc. (cf. flo).
* Lit.
* Act., to breathe out, exhale, emit (mostly poet. and post-Aug.; not in Cic.; syn. exhalo).
* Trop.
* Transf.
* Like the Engl. to breathe, = to live, be alive (usu. in the part. pres.): sunt qui ab eo (Clodio) spirante forum putent potuisse defendi, cujus non restiterit cadaveri curia (corresp. to vivus),Cic. Mil. 33, 91: ut in vivi etiam et spirantis capite bustum imponeret,id. Dom. 52, 134; cf.: margarita viva ac spirantia saxis avelli,Tac. Agr. 12 fin.: Catilina inter hostium cadavera repertus est, paululum etiam spirans,Sall. C. 61, 4: spirantia consulit exta,still panting,Verg. A. 4, 64: artus,Luc. 3, 732: corpora,id. 1, 363: non sunt ausi admovere (corpori), velut spiranti, manus,Curt. 10, 10, 13; Sil. 2, 430; cf. in verb. finit.: spirant venae corque adhuc paviduin salit,Sen. Thyest. 756.—*
* Of aspirated letters: quibus (litteris) nullae apud eos dulcius spirant,sound,Quint. 12, 10, 27.
* (Acc. to I. A. 1.) To be favorable, to favor (the fig. taken from a favorable wind): quod si tam facilis spiraret Cynthia nobis,Prop. 2, 24 (3, 18), 5: di maris et terrae ... spirate secundi,Verg. A. 3, 529.
* (Acc. to I. A. 2.) To breathe, live, be alive: videtur Laelii mens spirare etiam in scriptis, Galbae autem vis occidisse,Cic. Brut. 24, 94; cf.: spirat adhuc amor Vivuntque calores Aeoliae puellae,Hor. C. 4, 9, 10.—Of life-like representations by painting, sculpture, etc.: excudent alii spirantia mollius aera,Verg. A. 6, 847: Parii lapidis spirantia signa,id. G. 3, 34: spirat et arguta picta tabella manu,Mart. 7, 84, 2; 11, 10, 7.
* To be poetically inspired, to have the lyric spirit: quod spiro, et placeo, si placeo, tuum est,Hor. C. 4, 3, 24 (Orell. ad loc.).
* Spirare alte, altius, to be puffed up, proud, or arrogant, Flor. 2, 2, 27: Eusebium alte spirantem addixere poenae,Amm. 22, 3, 12.
* Lit.: Diomedis equi spirantes naribus ignem,Lucr. 5, 29: flammam spirantes ore Chimaerae,id. 2, 705; so, flammas spirantes boves,Liv. 22, 17: flamina,Ov. F. 4, 18: Zephyros spirare secundos,Verg. A. 4, 562: tenuem animam,to breathe feebly,Val. Fl. 4, 436: ambrosiaeque comae divinum vertice odorem Spiravere,exhaled,Verg. A. 1, 404; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 81.
* Trop., to breathe forth, exhale: pinguia Poppaeana,Juv. 6, 466: mendacia,id. 7, 111: ut vidit vastos telluris hiatus Divinam spirare fidem (i. e. oracula),Luc. 5, 83.
* To breathe into: ficto Corpori animam,Lact. 2, 11, 3.
* Transf., like the Engl. to breathe, i. e. to be full of; to show, express, manifest; to design, intend a thing (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): tantum spirantes aequo certamine bellum. Lucr. 5, 392: mollem spirare quietem,Prop. 1, 3, 7: quae spirabat amores,Hor. C. 4, 13, 19: inquietum hominem et tribunatum etiam nunc spirantem,Liv. 3, 46: fratris facta spirans,imitating,Sil. 15, 411; cf.: fratrem spirat in armis,id. 3, 740: spirantes proelia dira effigies,id. 17, 398.— Often with neutr. adj. used adverb.: magnum,Prop. 2, 15 (3, 7), 53: majora,Curt. 6, 9, 11: immane,Verg. A. 7, 510: tragicum satis,Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 166; cf. id. C. 4, 3, 24: quiddam indomitum,Flor. 1, 22, 1: cruenta,Amm. 16, 1, 5.