fenoris N N

tābes, is, f. [root in Gr. têkô, etakên, to melt; suffix as in plebes, pubes], a wasting away, melting, dwindling, consumption [p. 1832] corruption, putrefaction; a wasting disease, consumption, decline; plague, pestilence.

Lit. (class.;

syn. lues): aegritudo (habet) tabem, cruciatum, afflictationem, foeditatem,

Cic. Tusc. 3, 13, 27:

fames lenta nos consumit tabe,

Plin. 2, 63, 63, § 156:

atrox hiems seu parum provisi commeatus et orta ex utroque tabes,

Tac. A. 12, 50:

orta per Aegyptum,

id. H. 5, 3:

per tabem tot annorum omnibus consumptis,

Liv. 40, 29, 5:

cadaveris,

Suet. Vit. 10; Luc. 2, 166; 7, 809:

corpora... seu tabe vetustas Abstulerit,

Ov. M. 15, 156:

multorum tabe mensum mortuum,

Liv. 3, 24, 4:

arborum,

Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 225:

soli,

barrenness, id. 8, 21, 33, § 79:

tanta vis morbi, uti tabes, plerosque civium animos invaserat,

like a consuming fever, Sall. C. 36, 5; cf.:

tanta vis avaritiae, velut tabes, invaserat, etc.,

id. J. 32, 4; id. Fragm. ap. Fest. p. 359; Liv. 2, 23, 6; cf. id. 7, 22, 5.— Trop.:

tabes crescentis fenoris,

Liv. 7, 38, 7:

infecit ea tabes legionum quoque motas jam mentes,

Tac. H. 1, 26; 5, 3:

oculorum,

id. ib. 4, 81; Ov. M. 2, 807:

quos durus amor crudeli tabe peredit,

Verg. A. 6, 442; Cels. 3, 22. —

Transf., concr., the moisture of a melting or decaying substance, corruption (rare, and perh. not ante-Aug.):

tabes liquentis nivis,

Liv. 21, 36, 6; cf. Sen. Q. N. 4, 2; so,

sanguinis,

Liv. 30, 34, 10:

funesta veneni,

Ov. M. 3, 49:

tinctaque mortiferā tabe sagitta madet,

poison, id. P. 3, 1, 26:

pituitae,

Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 70:

putri arboris,

id. 15, 19, 21, § 80:

cujus aceti asperitas visque in tabem margaritas resolvit,

id. 9, 35, 58, § 120.