Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

1. lābes, is (abl. labi for labe, Lucr. 5, 930), f. [1. lābor], a fall, falling down, sinking in.

  1. I. Lit. (rare but class.): dare labem, Lucr. 2, 1145: motus terrae Rhodum … gravi ruinarum labe concussit, Just. 30, 4, 3: tantos terrae motus in Italia factos esse, ut multis locis labes factae sint terraeque desederint, subsidences of the earth, Cic. Div. 1, 35, 78; cf.: labes agri, id. ib. 1, 43, 97: terrae, Liv. 42, 15; so absol.: si labes facta sit, omnemque fructum tulerit, Dig. 19, 2, 15, § 2: labes imbris e caelo, Arn. 5, 185.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A fall, stroke, ruin, destruction: hinc mihi prima mali labes, the first blow of misfortune, Verg. A. 2, 97: haec prima mali labes, hoc initium impendentis ruinae fuit, Just. 17, 1, 5: metuo legionibu’ labem, Enn. ap. Diom. p. 378 P. (Ann. v. 283 Vahl.): quanta pernis pestis veniet, quanta labes larido, Plaut. Capt. 4, 3, 3: innocentiae labes ac ruina, Cic. Fl. 10, 24: labes in tabella, id. Lael. 12, 41: regnorum labes, Val. Fl. 5, 237.
    2. B. Meton., ruin, destruction; of a dangerous person, one who causes ruin: (Verres) labes atque pernicies provinciae Siciliae, Cic. Verr. 1, 1, 2: labes popli, Plant. Pers. 3, 3, 4.
      Of a bad law: labes atque eluvies civitatis, Cic. Dom. 20, 53.
      1. 2. In partic., the falling sickness, epilepsy, Ser. Samm. 57, 1018.
        Hence, in gen., disease, sickness, Grat. Cyneg. 468.

2. lābes, is, f. [Gr. λώβη, λωβεύω; cf. Curt. Griech. Etym. p. 372]. a spot, blot, stain, blemish, defect.

  1. I. Lit. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): tractata notam labemque remittunt Atramenta, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 235: sine labe toga, Ov. A. A. 1, 514: purum et sine labe salinum, Pers. 3, 25: victima labe carens, Ov. M. 15, 130: aliqua corporis labe insignis, Suet. Aug. 38: item quae (virgo) lingua debili sensuve aurium deminuta, aliave qua corporis labe insignita sit, Gell. 1, 12, 3.
  2. II. Trop., a stain, blot, stigma, disgrace, discredit: labes macula in vestimento dicitur, et deinde μεταφορικῶς transfertur in homines vituperatione dignos, Paul. ex Fest. p. 121 Müll. (freq. and class.): animi labes nec diuturnitate evanescere, nec amnibus ullis elui potest, Cic. Leg. 2, 10, 24: saeculi labes atque macula, id. Balb. 6, 15: labem alicujus dignitati aspergere, a stain, disgrace, id. Vatin. 6, 15: labem alicui inferre, id. Cael. 18, 42: famae non sine labe meae, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 20: domus sine labe, Juv. 14, 69: vita sine labe peracta, Ov. P. 2, 7, 49: abolere labem prioris ignominiae, Tac. H. 3, 24: donec longa dies … concretam eximit labem, purumque relinquit sensum, Verg. A. 6, 746.
    Of an immoral custom: dedit hanc contagio labem, Juv. 2, 78.
    Plur.: conscientiae labes habere, Cic. Off. 3, 21, 85: peccatorum labibus inquinati, Lact. 4, 26; id. Ira Dei, 19.
        1. b. Meton. (abstr. pro concreto), a disgrace, i. e. a good-for-nothing fellow, a wretch: habeo quem opponam labi illi atque caeno, Cic. Sest. 8, 20: caenum illud ac labes, id. ib. 11, 26.