Lewis & Short

vŏlūto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. and n. [volvo], to roll, turn, twist, or tumble about.

  1. I. Act.
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. In gen.
        1. a. With acc.: amphoras per terram, Col. 12, 48, 4: pelagus (ventus), Luc. 1, 412: pilas e fimo pedibus. i. e. to form by rolling together, Plin. 11, 28, 34, § 98; cf. volvo, I.
          With se: se in pulvere, to roll about, wallow, Plin. 30, 16, 53, § 148.
        2. b. More freq., mid.: ut gallinae possint in pulvere volutari, roll themselves, roll, Varr. R. R. 3, 9, 7: sus caenoso lacu, Col. 7, 10, 6: super aureorum acervos … toto corpore volutatus est, Suet. Calig. 42 fin.: volutati supra jacentia poma (irenacei), Plin. 8, 37, 56, § 133; cf. in allusion to the lit. signif. of the name Verres: quem (Verrem) in luto volutatum totius corporis vestigiis invenimus, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 53: (animi) corporibus elapsi circum terram ipsam volutantur, id. Rep. 6, 26, 29: cum tibi pueri ad pedes volutarentur, Auct. Her. 4, 24, 33; so in part.: genua amplexus genibusque volutans Haerebat, Verg. A. 3, 607: (amnis) per cava saxa volutans, Ov. Am. 3, 6, 45: in sacco et cinere volutantes, Tert. Apol. 40 fin.
      2. 2. In partic., in mal. part., Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 140; Sen. Contr. 1, 2; Petr. 79; Just. 12, 16, 2; Tert. ad Uxor. 9.
    2. B. Trop., to roll, roll about, roll along, etc.; to roll, wallow.
      1. 1. In gen.: vocem per ampla atria, to roll, spread, Verg. A. 1, 725; so, vocem, id. ib. 5, 149: murmura, id. ib. 10, 98: confusa verba. Ov. M. 12, 55.
        Mid.: cum omnes in omni genere et scelerum et flagitiorum volutentur, wallow, Cic. Fam. 9, 3, 1: in omni dedecore, Auct. Her. 4, 13, 19: inter mala plurima, Sen. Vit. Beat. 24, 4.
      2. 2. In partic.
          1. (α) To busy, occupy (of the mind): animum saepe tacitis cogitationibus, Liv. 9, 17, 2: in veteribus scriptis studiose et multum volutatum esse, Cic. de Or. 3, 10, 39; cf. id. Q. Fr. 2, 13, 4.
          2. (β) To turn over or revolve in the mind; to consider, weigh, ponder: rem in pectore, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 1: gladios in comisationem praeparatos volutabam in animo, Liv. 40, 13, 4: haec secum volutantem in animo, id. 42, 11, 5: hoc eum jam pridem volutare in animo, id. 28, 18, 11: haec in animo voluta, Sen. Ep. 24, 15; cf.: in pectore volutare, Lact. 7, 16, 4: ipse quid intra animum volutaverim … omittam referre, Tac. A. 4, 40: nihil umquam nisi sempiternum et divinum animo volutare, Cic. Rep. 1, 17, 28: aliud atque aliud consilium animo, Curt. 5, 12, 10; Tac. H. 2, 49; Sen. Cons. Marc. 11, 5: aliquid mente, Lucr. 3, 240: tacitus mecum ipse voluto, Verg. E. 9, 37: inter seque, Ov. M. 1, 389: multa secum animo volutans, Liv. 40, 8, 5: haec secum volutans, id. 30, 14, 3; 26, 7, 3: secum corde, Verg. A. 4, 533: suo cum corde, id. ib. 6, 185: aliquid in secreto cum amicis, to consider, discuss, Liv. 34, 36, 4: consilia de Romano bello, id. 34, 60, 2: quibus suā sponte volutantibus res inter se repugnantes obtorpuerant animi, id. 32, 20, 2.
  2. II. Neutr., to roll or tumble one’s self (very rare): leone obvio suppliciter volutante, Plin. 8, 16, 21, § 56; so id. 35, 11, 40, § 140 (cf. I. A. 1. b. fin. supra).