Lewis & Short

haerĕo, haesi, haesum, 2, v. n. [etym. dub.], to hang or hold fast, to hang, stick, cleave, cling, adhere, be fixed, sit fast, remain close to any thing or in any manner (class. and very freq., esp. in the trop. sense; cf. pendeo); usually constr. with in, the simple abl. or absol., less freq. with dat., with ad, sub, ex, etc.

  1. I. Lit.: ut videamus, terra penitusne defixa sit, et quasi radicibus suis haereat, an media pendeat? Cic. Ac. 2, 39, 122; so, terra ima sede semper haeret, id. Rep. 6, 18: linguam ad radices ejus haerens excipit stomachus, id. N. D. 2, 54, 135: scalarum gradus male haerentes, holding, adhering, id. Fam. 6, 7, 3; cf.: haerent parietibus scalae, Verg. A. 2, 442: haerere in equo, sit fast, keep his seat, Cic. Deiot. 10, 28; for which: nescit equo rudis Haerere ingenuus puer, Hor. C. 3, 24, 55: male laxus In pede calceus haeret, id. S. 1, 3, 32; cf. Quint. 11, 3, 144: haeret nonnumquam telum illud occultum, id. 9, 2, 75: pugnus in mala haeret, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 17: haesitque in corpore ferrum, Verg. A. 11, 864; for which: tergo volucres haesere sagittae, id. ib. 12, 415; cf.: scindat haerentem coronam crinibus, Hor. C. 1, 17, 27; and: haerentem capiti cum multa laude coronam, id. S. 1, 10, 49: carinae, Ov. M. 8, 144: alae, id. ib. 12, 570: (fames) utero haeret meo, Plaut. Stich. 1, 3, 16: haeret pede pes, Verg. A. 10, 361: ubi demisi retem atque hamum, quicquid haesit, extraho, Plaut. Rud. 4, 3, 45; cf.: os devoratum fauce cum haereret lupi, Phaedr. 1, 8, 4; and: graves currus illuvie et voraginibus haerebant, Curt. 8, 4: classis in vado haerebat, id. 9, 19: haerentes adverso litore naves, Hor. S. 2, 3, 205: gremioque in Jasonis haerens, Ov. M. 7, 66; cf.: haeret in complexu liberorum, Quint. 6, 1, 42; for which: Avidisque amplexibus haerent, Ov. M. 7, 143; cupide in Veneris compagibus haerent, Lucr. 4, 1113; for which: validis Veneris compagibus haerent, id. 4, 1204; and: (anulus) caecis in eo (lapide) compagibus haesit, id. 6, 1016: communibus inter se radicibus haerent, id. 3, 325; 5, 554: foliis sub omnibus haerent (Somnia), Verg. A. 6, 284: gladius intra vaginam suam haerens, Quint. 8 praef. § 15: ipse inter media tela hostium evasit. Duo turmae haesere, i. e. failed to break through, Liv. 29, 33, 7: alii globo illati haerebant, id. 22, 5, 5.
        1. b. Prov.
          1. (α) Haerere in luto, i. e. to be in trouble, difficulty: tali in luto haerere, Plaut. Pers. 4, 3, 66 (for which: nunc homo in medio luto est, id. Ps. 4, 2, 28); cf. haesito, I.
            In salebra: proclivi currit oratio: venit ad extremum: haeret in salebra, runs aground, i. e. is at a loss, Cic. Fin. 5, 28, 84.
            In a like sense,
          2. (β) Aqua haeret, the water (in the waterclock) stops; v. aqua.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to hold fast, remain attached or fixed, to keep firm, adhere: improbis semper aliqui scrupus in animis haereat, Cic. Rep. 3, 16; cf.: infixus animo haeret dolor, id. Phil. 2, 26, 64: haerent infixi pectore vultus, Verg. A. 4, 4: haerere in memoria, Cic. Ac. 2, 1, 2; cf.: quae mihi in visceribus haerent, i. e. firmly impressed upon my heart, memory, id. Att. 6, 1, 8; and: in medullis populi Romani ac visceribus haerere, id. Phil. 1, 15, 36: mihi haeres in medullis, id. Fam. 15, 16, 2: in omnium gentium sermonibus ac mentibus semper haerere, id. Cat. 4, 10, 22: hi in oculis haerebunt, i. e. will be always present, id. Phil. 13, 3, 5: in te omnis haeret culpa, adheres, cleaves, Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 32: ut peccatum haereat, non in eo, qui monuerit, sed in eo, qui non obtemperarit, Cic. Div. 1, 16, 30.
      With dat.: potest hoc homini huic haerere peccatum? Cic. Rosc. Com. 6, 17: quod privatarum rerum dedecus non haeret infamiae (tuae)? id. Cat. 1, 6, 13: in quo (Caelio) crimen non haerebat, id. Cael. 7, 15: neque (possit) haerere in tam bona causa tam acerba injuria, id. Fam. 6, 5, 2: cum ante illud facetum dictum emissum haerere debeat, quam cogitari potuisse videatur, must have hit (the figure being that of an arrow shot from the bow), id. de Or. 2, 54, 219: in quos incensos ira vitamque domini desperantes cum incidisset, haesit in iis poenis, quas, etc., fell into, incurred those penalties (the figure is that of a bird which is limed, caught), id. Mil. 21, 56: nec dubie repetundarum criminibus haerebant, Tac. A. 4, 19: in hoc flexu quasi aetatis fama adolescentis paulum haesit ad metas, hung back, was caught (the figure being taken from the race-course), Cic. Cael. 31, 75; v. meta: neu quid medios intercinat actus, Quod non proposito conducat et haereat apte, i. e. fits, suits, Hor. A. P. 195.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. With the idea of nearness predominating, to keep near or close to a person, to join or attach one’s self to, to follow (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): perfice hoc Precibus, pretio, ut haeream in parte aliqua tandem apud Thaidem, may keep about her, Ter. Eun. 5, 9, 25; cf.: ego illum audivi in amorem haerere apud nescio quam fidicinam, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 7: haeres ad latus, omnia experiris, Cat. 21, 6: Antorem comitem, qui missus ab Argis, Haeserat Evandro, Verg. A. 10, 780: obtinenti Africam comes haeserat, Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 2; Quint. 1, 2, 10: Curtius Nicia (grammaticus) haesit Cn. Pompeio et C. Memmio, Suet. Gramm. 14.
        Poet.: haeremus cuncti superis, temploque tacente Nil facimus non sponte deo, cling to, depend on, Luc. 9, 573.
        Hence,
        1. b. In a bad sense: in tergis, tergis, in tergo, to hang upon one’s rear, i. e. to pursue closely: haerebit in tergis fugientium victor, Curt. 4, 15 fin.: se cum exercitu tergis eorum haesurum, Tac. H. 4, 19: Haerens in tergo Romanus, Liv. 1, 14 11 Weissenb. (better than terga, the lect. vulg.).
      2. 2. With the idea of duration in time predominating, to remain fixed, to abide or continue anywhere, to keep at, stick to any thing (class.): metui, ne haereret hic (Athenis), Ter. Ad. 3, 3, 49: in obsidione castelli exigui, Curt. 5, 3, 4: circa muros unius urbis, id. 4, 4; cf.: circa libidines, Suet. Aug. 71: volitare in foro, haerere in jure ac praetorum tribulibus, to go loitering or dangling about, Cic. de Or. 1, 38, 173: et siccis vultus in nubibus haerent, hang upon, i. e. remain long looking at, Luc. 4, 331; cf.: vultus, dum crederet, haesit, id. 9, 1036: haerere in eadem commorarique sententia, Cic. Or. 40, 137; cf.: mea ratio in dicendo haec esse solet, ut boni quod habeat, id amplectar, ibi habitem, ibi haeream, id. de Or. 2, 72, 292: quonam modo ille in bonis haerebit et habitabit suis? id. Or. 15, 49: equidem in libris haereo, id. Att. 13, 40, 2; cf.: valde in scribendo haereo, id. ib. 13, 39, 2: plurima sunt, nitidis maculam haesuram figentia rebus, lasting, durable, Juv. 14, 2.
      3. 3. With the idea of hindrance to free motion predominating, to stick fast, be brought to a stand-still, to be embarrassed, perplexed, at a loss, to hesitate, to be suspended or retarded (class.).
          1. (α) Of persons: haerebat nebulo: quo se verteret, non habebat, Cic. Phil. 2, 29, 74; cf.: haerebat in tabulis publicis reus et accusator, id. Clu. 31, 86: cogitate in his iniquitatibus unum haesisse Apollonium: ceteros profecto multos ex his incommodis pecunia se liberasse, id. Verr. 2, 5, 9, § 23: in multis nominibus, id. N. D. 3, 24, 62: in media stultitia, id. Tusc. 3, 28, 70; cf.: isti physici raro admodum, cum haerent aliquo loco, exclamant, abstrusa esse omnia, etc., id. Ac. 2, 5, 14: in quo etiam Democritus haeret, id. Fin. 1, 6, 20: at in altero illo, inquit, haeres. Immo habeo tibi gratiam. Haererem enim, nisi tu me expedisses, id. Pis. 30, 74: in ceteris subvenies, si me haerentem videbis, id. Fin. 3, 4, 16: quid machiner? quid comminiscar? haereo, Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 17; id. Merc. 3, 4, 15; 4, 3, 38; 24; cf.: aut quia non firmus rectum defendis et haeres, Hor. S. 2, 7, 26: haesit circa formas litterarum (puer), Quint. 1, 1, 21; cf. id. 1, 7, 35: haeres et dubitas, Juv. 3, 135; 6, 281.
          2. (β) Of things: nunc homo in lutost. Nomen nescit: haeret haec res, i. e. is perplexing, cannot be explained, Plaut. Ps. 4, 2, 28; id. Amph. 2, 2, 182; id. Trin. 4, 2, 59; cf.: occisa est haec res; haeret hoc negotium, id. Ps. 1, 5, 8: nec umquam tanta fuerit loquendi facultas, ut non titubet atque haereat, quotiens ab animo verba dissentiunt, Quint. 12, 1, 29: Hectoris Aeneaeque manu victoria Graiūm Haesit, i. e. was retarded, Verg. A. 11, 290; cf.: constitit hic bellum fortunaque Caesaris haesit, Luc. 7, 547: cum in hac difficultate rerum consilium haereret, Liv. 26, 36, 1.