Lewis & Short

immĭnĕo (inm-), ēre, v. n. [in-mineo], to project over or towards a thing, to bend or lean towards, to hang down over, overhang (syn. impendeo).

  1. I. Lit. (mostly poet.): collis plurimus urbi Imminet, commands, Verg. A. 1, 420; cf.: imminens prope ipsis moenibus tumulus, Liv. 29, 35, 7: imminens villae tua pinus esto, Hor. C. 3, 22, 5: candida populus antro Imminet, Verg. E. 9, 41: aër his, Ov. M. 1, 52: caelumque quod imminet orbi, id. ib. 2, 7: scopulus aequoribus, id. ib. 4, 525: apex collis subjectis arvis, id. ib. 7, 779: nemus desuper, Verg. A. 1, 165: arbos, Ov. M. 4, 459: imminet e celsis audentius improba muris Virgo, Val. Fl. 6, 681; Quint. 11, 3, 130: choros ducit Venus imminente luna, shining overhead, Hor. C. 1, 4, 5: cum ageretur togata, simulans, caterva tota clarissima concentione in ore impuri hominis imminens contionata est: Huic vitae tuae, etc., bending or turning towards, Cic. Sest. 55, 118; cf.: gestu omni imminenti, bent towards him, id. de Or. 2, 55, 225.
    1. B. Transf., to be near to a thing, to touch on, border upon.
      1. 1. In gen. (rare): imminet hic, sequiturque parem, similisque tenenti Non tenet, Ov. M. 7, 785: tergo fugacis, id. ib. 1, 542: carcer imminens foro, adjoining, Liv. 1, 33, 8: imminentia muro aedificia, id. 2, 33, 7.
      2. 2. In partic. (like impendere and instare), in an inimical sense, to threaten, menace, by nearness or commanding position (class.): nimis imminebat propter propinquitatem Aegina Piraeeo, Cic. Off. 3, 11, 46; cf.: Carthago imminere jam fructuosissimis insulis populi Romani videbatur, id. Agr. 2, 32, 87: certior sum factus, Parthos … Ciliciae magis imminere, id. Att. 5, 20, 2: imminent duo reges toti Asiae, id. de Imp. Pomp. 5, 12: circum insulas Italiae inminentes, Liv. 21, 49, 1: Mithridates Italiae quoque, Vell. 2, 18, 4: Parthi Latio, Hor. C. 1, 12, 53: Germaniae et Britanniae, Suet. Calig. 19: bello subegit gentem rebus populi Romani imminentem, Cic. Rep. 2, 20: instabat agmen Caesaris atque universum imminebat, Caes. B. G. 1, 80 fin.: imbrium divina avis imminentŭm, Hor. C. 3, 27, 10: turris ingens inminebat, Liv. 21, 7, 7; 21, 11, 10: inminentes tumuli, id. 3, 7, 2.
  2. II. Trop. (class.).
    1. A. To strive eagerly ofter a thing, to be eager for, to long for, be intent upon: hujus mendicitas aviditate conjuncta in nostras fortunas imminebat, Cic. Phil. 5, 7, 20; Liv. 30, 28, 9: in alterius ducis exercitusque opprimendi occasionem imminebat, id. 25, 20, 5: huc imminet: om nes Dirigit huc sensus, Verg. Cul. 89: alieno imminere, Sen. Ep. 2 fin.: rebus, Tac. A. 16, 14: quod imminere emptioni publicanos videbat, Suet. Aug. 24: peritus rerum popularium imminensque ei potestati, Liv. 3, 51, 9: spei majoris honoris, id. 4, 25, 9: occasioni alloquendi regem, Curt. 5, 11: exitio conjugis, Ov. M. 1, 146: Verres avaritia semper hiante atque imminenti fuit, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 54, § 134.
    2. B. Transf. (acc. to I. B.), to be near at hand, to impend.
      1. 1. In gen.: sunt qui ea, quae quotidie imminent, non videant, Cic. Cat. 1, 12, 30: mors, quae propter incertos casus quotidie imminet, id. Tusc. 1, 38, 91.
      2. 2. In partic., to threaten by nearness, to be imminent: periculum, quod imminere ipsi portenderetur, Suet. Claud. 29: periculum ambobus, id. Tit. 9: imminentes undique insidiae, id. Caes. 86: discrimina undique, id. Tib. 25: summum discrimen, Quint. 8, 4, 22: bellum, id. 12, 1, 43: taedio praesentium et imminentium metu, Suet. Vit. 15.