Lewis & Short

pendĕo, pĕpendi, 2, v. n. [intr. of pendo, q. v.], to hang, hang down, be suspended.

  1. I. Lit., constr. with ab, ex, or in and abl.; also (poet.), with abl. alone, or with de: pendent peniculamenta, Enn. ap. Non. 149, 32 (Ann. v. 363 Vahl.): in candelabro pendet strigilis, Varr. ap. Non. 223, 7: in arbore, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 23, § 57: sagittae pende, bant ab umero, id. ib. 2, 4, 34, § 74: ex arbore, id. ib. 2, 3, 26, § 66: ubera circum (pueri), Verg. A. 8, 632: horrida pendebant molles super ora capilli, Ov. P. 3, 3, 17: capiti patiar sacros pendere corymbos, Prop. 2, 23, 35 (3, 28, 39): telum … summo clipei nequiquam umbone pependit, Verg. A. 2, 544: deque viri collo dulce pependit onus, Ov. F. 2, 760.
    Of garments: chlamydemque ut pendeat apte, Collocat, Ov. M. 2, 733: tigridis exuviae per dorsum a vertice pendent, Verg. A. 11, 577.
    Of slaves, who were strung up to be flogged, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 27: quando pendes per pedes, id. ib. 2, 2, 35: ibi pendentem ferit, id. Trin. 2, 1, 19; id. Truc. 4, 3, 3; cf. id. Men. 5, 5, 48: quid me fiet nunciam? Theo. Verberibus caedere pendens, id. Most. 5, 2, 45: ego plectar pendens, nisi, etc., Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 43; id. Eun. 5, 6, 20.
    Poet., of suspended votive offerings: omnibus heu portis pendent mea noxia vota, Prop. 4 (5), 3, 17; Tib. 1, 1, 16 (24): pendebatque vagi pastoris in arbore votum, id. 2, 5, 29: pendebit fistula pinu, Verg. E. 7, 24: multaque praeterea sacris in postibus arma, Captivi pendent currus, etc., id. A. 7, 184.
    Of one who hangs himself, Mart. 8, 61, 2: e trabe sublimi triste pependit onus, Ov. R. Am. 18: pendentem volo Zoilum videre, Mart. 4, 77, 5.
    Of any thing hung up for public notice; of the names of persons accused, Suet. Dom. 9, Plin. Ep. 4, 9, 1; of goods hung up, exposed for sale, Phaedr. 3, 4, 1; transf., of a debtor whose goods are exposed for sale, Suet. Claud. 9 fin.
    Prov.: pendere filo or tenui filo, to hang by a thread, i. e. to be in great danger: hac noctu filo pendebit Etruria tota, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 1, 4 (Ann. v. 153 Vahl.): omnia sunt hominum tenui pendentia filo, Ov. P. 4, 3, 35; Val. Max. 6, 4, 1.
    1. B. Transf. (mostly poet.; cf. immineo).
      1. 1. To hang in the air, be suspended, to float, hover, overhang: per speluncas saxis structas asperis, pendentibus, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 16, 37 (Trag. Rel. p. 245 Rib.); imitated, Lucr. 6, 195: hinc scopulus raucis pendet adesus aquis, Ov. H. 10, 26: dum siccā tellure licet, dum nubila pendent, Verg. G. 1, 214: hi summo in fluctu pendent, id. A. 1, 106: illisaque prora pependit, id. ib. 5, 206; Curt. 4, 2, 9: dumosā pendere procul de rupe videbo (capros), Verg. E. 1, 77: pendentes rupe capellae, Ov. P. 1, 8, 51.
        So of birds, which float or hover in the air: olor niveis pendebat in aëra pennis, Ov. M. 7, 379; 8, 145: et supra vatem multa pependit avis, Mart. Spect. 21.
        Of a rapid course: raraque non fracto vestigia pulvere pendent, Stat. Th. 6, 638.
      2. 2. To hang loosely together, be unstable, movable: opertum (litus) pendeat algā, Ov. M. 11, 233.
      3. 3. To hang about, loiter, tarry, linger anywhere: nostroque in limine pendes, Verg. A. 6, 151.
      4. 4. To hang down, be flabby or flaccid, weak, without strength: fluidos pendere lacertos, Ov. M. 15, 231: pendentesque genas et aniles aspice rugas, Juv. 10, 193.
      5. 5. To weigh: offula cum duabus costis quae penderet III. et XX. pondo, Varr. R. R. 2, 4, 11: cyathus pendet drachmas X., mna pendet drachmas Atticas centum, Plin. 21, 34, 109, § 185: Lucio Titio modios centum, qui singuli pondo centum pendeant, heres dato, Dig. 33, 6, 7.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To hang, rest, or depend upon a person or thing (class.); constr. with ex, in, ab, the simple abl., or de: tuorum, qui ex te pendent, Cic. Fam. 6, 22, 2: spes pendet ex fortunā, id. Par. 2, 17: ex quo verbo tota causa pendebat, id. de Or. 2, 25, 107; id. Fam. 5, 13, 1: hinc omnis pendet Lucilius, Hor. S. 1, 4, 6: an ignoratis. vectigalia perlevi saepe momento fortunae pendere? Cic. Agr. 2, 29, 80: salus nostra, quae spe exiguā extremāque pendet, Cic. Fl. 2, 4: tam levi momento mea apud vos fama pendet, Liv. 2, 7, 10: pendere ex alterius vultu ac nutu, id. 39, 5, 3: oblite, tuā nostram pendere salutem, Sil. 3, 109: in sententiis omnium civium famam nostram fortunamque pendere, Cic. Pis. 41, 98: ex ancipiti temporum mutatione pendere, Curt. 4, 1, 27; Luc. 5, 686: deque tuis pendentia Dardana fatis, Sil. 13, 504; Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 105: tyrannus, cum quo fatum pendebat amici, Juv. 4, 88.
    2. B. To hang upon a person’s words, to gaze fixedly, listen attentively to (poet. and in post-Aug. prose; cf. haereo): (Dido) pendet iterum narrantis ab ore, Verg. A. 4, 79: narrantis conjux pendet ab ore viri, Ov. H. 1, 30: ab imagine pendet, Sil. 8, 93; cf. Quint. 11, 3, 72: pervigil Arcadio Tiphys pendebat ab astro, Val. Fl. 1, 481: attentus et pendens, Plin. Ep. 1, 10, 7: ex vultu dicentis pendent omnium vultus, Sen. Contr. 9, 23, 5.
      Poet., with a terminal clause: e summo pendent cupida agmina vallo, Noscere quisque suos, Stat. Th. 10, 457.
    3. C. To be suspended, interrupted, discontinued (poet. and in post-class. prose): pendent opera interrupta, Verg. A. 4, 88: mutui datio interdum pendet, Dig. 12, 1, 8: condictio pendet, ib. 7, 1, 12 fin.: actio negotiorum gestorum pendeat, ib. 3, 5, 8; 24, 1, 11: pendet jus liberorum, propter jus postliminii, Just. Inst. 1, 12, 5.
    4. D. To hang suspended, be ready to fall: nec amicum pendentem corruere patitur, Cic. Rab. Post. 16, 43.
    5. E. To be in suspense, to be uncertain, doubiful, irresolute, perplexed (cf. haesito): animus tibi pendet? Ter. Ad. 2, 2, 18: nolo suspensam et incertam plebem Romanam obscurā spe et caecā exspectatione pendere, Cic. Agr. 2, 25, 66: ne diutius pendeas, id. Att. 4, 15, 6: quia quam diu futurum hoc sit, non nimis pendeo, Sen. Ep. 61, 2: mortales pavidis cum pendent mentibus, Lucr. 6, 51.
      Esp. freq.: pendere animi (locative case, v. Kühnast, Liv. Synt. p. 39): Clitipho cum spe pendebit animi, Ter. Heaut. 4, 4, 5: exanimatus pendet animi, Cic. Tusc. 4, 16, 35: pendeo animi exspectatione Corfiniensi, id. Att. 8, 5, 2: animi pendeo et de te et de me, id. ib. 16, 12.
      With rel.-clause: ego animi pendeo, quid illud sit negotii, Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 18: ostendis te pendere animi, quamnam rationem, etc., Cic. Att. 11, 12, 1; id. Leg. 1, 3, 9.
      Less freq.: pendere animo: atque animo noctu pendens eventa timebat, Cic. poët. ap. Non. 204, 8.
      In plur.: animis: quodsi exspectando et desiderando pendemus animis, cruciamur, angimur, Cic. Tusc. 1, 40, 96: sollicitis ac pendentibus animis, Liv. 7, 30 fin. dub. (al. animi, v. Drak. ad loc.).
      With cum: plebs innumera mentibus cum dimicationum curulium eventu pendentem, Amm. 14, 6, 26.
      Law t. t., to be undetermined, to await decision: pendente condicione, Gai. Inst. 2, 200; 1, 186; 3, 179.
  3. F. To have weight or value: bona vera idem pendent, Sen. Ep. 66, 30 (Haas; al. pendunt).
    Hence, pendens, entis, P. a.
    1. A. Hanging; in econom. lang., of fruits not yet plucked or gathered: vinum, Cato, R. R. 147: vindemia, Dig. 19, 1, 25: olea, Cato, R. R. 146: fructus, Dig. 6, 1, 44.
    2. B. Pending; hence, in jurid, Lat., in pendenti esse, to be pending, undecided, uncertain: quando in pendenti est, an, etc., Dig. 38, 17, 10: in pendenti est posterior solutio ac prior, ib. 46, 3, 58; 7, 1, 25: in pendenti habere aliquid, to regard a thing as uncertain, doubtful, Dig. 49, 17, 19 fin.