Lewis & Short

ē-lābor, elapsus (elabsus), 3, v. dep. n. and a.

  1. I. Neutr., to slip or glide away, to fall out, get off, escape (class.).
    1. A. Lit.: anguilla est, elabitur, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 57; so of a snake, Liv. 1, 56; 26, 19; Verg. G. 1, 244; Ov. M. 9, 63: cum se convolvens sol elaberetur et abiret, Cic. Div. 1, 23, 46: (animal) ex utero elapsum, id. N. D. 2, 51, 128; cf. id. Cat. 1, 6 fin.: elapsae manibus tabellae, Ov. M. 9, 571; cf.: gladius ei e manu, Just. 33, 2, 3: jumentum e manibus curantium elapsum, Liv. 44, 40: animi corporibus elapsi, Cic. Rep. 6, 26 fin.; cf. id. Tusc. 1, 45 fin.: quicquid incidit, fastigio musculi elabitur, Caes. B. C. 2, 11, 1: Manlii cuspis super galeam hostis elapsa est, slipped along, Liv. 8, 7: foras elapsa corpora, Lucr. 5, 489.
        1. b. In an upward direction of fire: frondes elapsus in altas, having crept, glided, upwards, Verg. G. 2, 305.
      1. 2. In partic.
          1. (α) Of persons, to slip off, get clear, escape: ex proelio elapsi, Caes. B. G. 5, 37 fin.: e soceri manibus ac ferro, Cic. Att. 10, 4, 3: de caede Pyrrhi, Verg. A. 2, 526: telis Achivum, id. ib. 2, 318; cf. custodiae, Tac. A. 5, 10: inter tumultum, Liv. 28, 33: mediis Achivis, Verg. A. 1, 242 et saep.
          2. (β) Of limbs or joints, to be dislocated: articuli, Cels. 8, 11, 13: id quod in latus elapsum est, digitis restitui, id. 8, 19: illi elapsos in pravum artus, etc., Tac. H. 4, 81.
    2. B. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to slip away, escape: causa e manibus, Cic. de Or. 2, 50; cf.: rei publicae statum illum elapsum scito esse de manibus, id. Att. 1, 16, 6; and with this cf. id. Mur. 39, 85: animus devinctus paulatim elapsus est Bacchidi, i. e. became estranged, Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 94: libros adolescenti elapsos esse, had slipped from him, i. e. had been published prematurely, Quint. 3, 1, 20: in servitutem elapsi, who had insensibly fallen into, Liv. 3, 37.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To get off, get clear, escape from condemnation, punishment: ex tot tantisque criminibus elapsus, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 58; 2, 1, 39 fin.; id. de Sen. 12 fin.; id. Q. Fr. 3, 4, 2; Quint. 2, 11, 2; 3, 6, 83; Suet. Tib. 33 al. Less freq. of things: ne quod maleficium impunitate elaberetur, Suet. Aug. 32.
      2. 2. Pregn., to pass away, disappear, escape: imperfecta tibi elapsa est vita, Lucr. 3, 958; so, ea spes, Plaut. Capt. 3, 5, 101: assensio omnis illa, Cic. Tusc. 1, 11, 24: aliquid memoriă, id. Phil. 13, 5, 11; cf. Quint. 10, 3, 33; Luc. 9, 80.
  2. II. Act. like effugere, to escape from any evil or danger (post-Aug. and very rare): pugnam aut vincula, Tac. A. 1, 61: custodias, id. H. 3, 59; Flor. 1, 10, 7 Duker. N. cr.: vim ignium (statua), Tac. A. 4, 64.