in-cunctans

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cunctor (in many MSS. and edd. also contor), ātus, 1 (archaic inf. cunctarier, Lucr. 3, 67), v. dep. [cf. Sanscr. çank, to be anxious; Gr. oknos], to delay action (from deliberation or indolence), to linger, loiter, hesitate, doubt (freq. and class.); constr. absol., with the inf. or a subj.-clause.

Of personal subjects.

Absol., so the verse of Ennius upon the dictator Q. Fab. Maximus Cunctator: unus homo nobis cunctando restituit rem, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 24, 84 (Ann. v. 313 Vahl.; also cited Cic. Sen. 4, 10; id. Att. 2, 19, 2; Liv. 30, 26, 9);

imitated by Verg., A. 6, 846,

Ov. F. 2, 242 (the idea contained in cunctando is expressed by sedendo, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 2; cf.:

sedendo et cunctando bellum gerebat,

Liv. 22, 24, 10;

and by non pugnando,

Plin. 22, 5, 5, § 10):

assequor omnia si propero, si cunctor amitto,

Cic. Att. 10, 8, 5:

an etiam tunc quiesceretis, cunctaremini, timeretis?

id. Sest. 38, 81; cf.:

ne quis cesset... qui cunctatus fuerit, etc.,

Liv. 35, 35, 17, and v. cesso:

nostris militibus cunctantibus, Desilite, inquit, etc.,

Caes. B. G. 4, 25:

alius alium exspectantes cunctamini,

Sall. C. 52, 28; Ov. M. 8, 753 et saep.:

in vitā cunctatur et haeret,

Lucr. 3, 407; cf. Cic. Tusc. 1, 46, 111:

inter metum et iram cunctatus,

Tac. A. 2, 66:

ille inter pudorem et iram cunctatus,

id. ib. 14, 49:

cunctante ad ea Mithridate,

id. ib. 12, 46:

ut ad laborem capessendum nihil cunctentur,

Gell. 2, 29, 12.— Impers. pass.:

nec cunctatum apud latera,

Tac. A. 3, 46:

non esse cunctandum,

Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 5:

non cunctandum neque cessandum esse,

Liv. 35, 18, 8.—

With inf.:

non est cunctandum profiteri, hunc, etc.,

Cic. Univ. 3 fin.:

utrisque cunctantibus periculum summae rerum facere,

Liv. 25, 39, 18; 31, 7, 5:

ne cunctetur ipse propius accedere,

Sall. C. 44, 6; id. J. 13, 6; Col. 8, 15 fin.; Suet. Caes. 70; id. Vesp. 16:

ne cunctaretur Agrippam morte adficere,

Tac. A. 1, 6.—

With rel.-clause (rare):

vos cunctamini etiam nunc, quid faciatis?

Sall. C. 52, 25:

diu cunctatus an, etc.,

Suet. Caes. 81; id. Aug. 8:

primum cunctati, utrumne... an, etc.,

id. Caes. 80:

non cunctandum existimavit quin, etc.,

Caes. B. G. 3, 23 fin. —

Poet. transf., of things as subjects:

tardum cunctatur olivum,

runs slowly, Lucr. 2, 392:

refrigescit cunctando plaga,

id. 4, 703:

turpis contemptus et acris egestas... videntur cunctarier,

id. 3, 67; cf.:

cunctatur et amnis Rauca sonans revocatque pedem Tiberinus ab alto,

Verg. A. 9, 124.—Hence, cunctans, antis, P. a., delaying, lingering, dilatory, slow, tardy.

Of persons (post-Aug. and rare):

erat cunctantior cautiorque,

Plin. Ep. 9, 13, 6; cf. id. ib. 2, 16, 4:

ad dimicandum cunctantior,

Suet. Caes. 60; cf.:

familia cunctans ad opera,

Col. 11, 1, 14:

naturā ac senectā cunctantior,

Tac. H. 3, 4.—With acc. respect.:

alternos aegro cunctantem poplite gressus,

Val. Fl. 2, 93.—

Of things, tenacious, tough, slow, resisting, etc. ( poet. and rare):

mellis cunctantior actus,

Lucr. 3, 193:

corripit Aeneas extemplo avidusque refringit Cunctantem (ramum),

Verg. A. 6, 211:

glaebas cunctantis exspecta,

id. G. 2, 236:

corda viri,

Val. Fl. 3, 693:

ira,

Stat. Th. 5, 680.— Adv.: cunctanter, slowly, with delay (rare), Liv. 1, 36, 4; 10, 4, 8; Tac. H. 2, 52 al.— Comp., Suet. Galb. 12; id. Caes. 19; Tac. A. 1, 71.