Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

nūto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. n. [nuo (of re-nuo, ab-nuo); Gr. νεύω; cf. numen, nutus], to nod with the head.

  1. I. Lit.: neque illa ulli homini nutet, nictet, annuat, Plaut. As. 4, 1, 39; id. Merc. 2, 3, 72: capite nutat, id. Mil. 2, 2, 52: crebro capitis motu nutans. Suet. Calig. 38: nutans. Distorquens oculos, Hor. S. 1, 9, 64.
    1. B. Esp., to command by a nod or sign: nutat ne loquar, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 48.
  2. II. In gen., to sway to and fro, to totter, shake, stagger.
    1. A. Lit.: nutant circumspectantibus galeae, et incerti trepidant, Liv. 4, 37: ornus, Verg. A. 2, 629; 9, 682: percutiens nutanti pectora mento, Ov. M. 11, 620: nutans machinamentum, Tac. H. 4, 30: nutantem vulnere civem, Juv. 15, 156: rami pondere, Ov. A. A. 2, 263: cristae, Sil. 1, 501: turres, Luc. 6, 136: plaustra, Juv. 3, 256.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. To waver in one’s opinion or judgment; to doubt, hesitate: etiam Democritus nutare videtur in naturā Deorum, Cic. N. D. 1, 43, 120: sic animus vario labefactus vulnere nutat, Ov. M. 10, 375; cf. Stat. Th. 8, 614; 4, 197.
      2. 2. To falter in one’s fidelity, to be faithless: ac primo Festūs nutabat, palam Vitellium, occultis nuntiis Vespasianum fovens, Tac. H. 2, 98; Suet. Caes. 4.
      3. 3. To be ready to fall or give way; to totter, to waver, fail, be weak, falter: fortuna nutabit, Liv. 21, 44: tanto discrimine urbs nutabat, ut, etc., Tac. H. 4, 52: nutantem aciem victor equitatus incursat, id. ib. 3, 18; 4, 49: rempublicam, Suet. Vesp. 8; cf.: moenia nutantia Romae, Sil. 10, 590: nutantem hostem praevenire, Tac. H. 3, 40; cf. Flor. 3, 10, 4: mundi nutante ruinā, Luc. 4, 493.