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.

nătans, antis, Part. and P. a., v. nato fin.

năto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. n. and a. [no], to swim, to float.

  1. I. Lit.: qui neque in Oceano natare volueris studiosissimus homo natandi, Cic. Fam. 7, 10, 2: natant pisces aequore, Ov. P. 2, 7, 28: canis, per flumen, carnem dum ferret, natans, Phaedr. 1, 4, 2: natat uncta carina, floats, Verg. A. 4, 398: crura natantia, palmated feet, Ov. M. 14, 551; cf.: apta natando crura, id. ib. 15, 376.
    Of storm-tossed or shipwrecked persons, to float about, be tossed about: naufragus natans, Cic. Inv. 2, 51, 163; cf. trop.: et natat exuviis Graecia pressa tuis, Prop. 4 (5), 1, 115: cum saepe in portu fracta carina natet, id. 2, 25, 24 (3, 20, 24): Ithacum lugere natantem, Juv. 10, 257.
          1. (β) Poet., with acc.: nocte natat caecā serus freta, swims across, Verg. G. 3, 260: aquas, to swim in, Mart. 14, 196, 2: Tiberinum, to swim across, Juv. 8, 265.
            Hence, also, pass.: quot piscibus unda natatur, Ov. Tr. 5, 2, 25.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. To swim or spread about (poet.): quā Tiberinus campo liberiore natat, Ov. F. 4, 291: natantibus radicibus, Col. Arb. 6; Prop. 2, 12, 52 (3, 7, 52): ingens medio natat umbra profundo, Stat. Th. 2, 42: niveo natat ignis in ore, id. Achill. 1, 161.
      2. 2. To swim or overflow with any thing, to be overflowed (mostly poet.).
          1. (α) With abl.: natabant pavimenta vino, Cic. Phil. 2, 41, 105: plenis Rura natant fossis, are inundated, Verg. G. 1, 372: sanieque aspersa natarent Limina, id. A. 3, 625: fletibus ora natant, Stat. Th. 2, 337: carmina in ipse ore natant, id. S. 2, 1, 18.
          2. (β) Absol.: exspectant imbres, quorum modo cuncta natabant Impulsu, Luc. 4, 330: plana natant, Sil. 4, 751.
      3. 3. Of the eyes, to swim (of drunken or dying persons), to be feeble, failing (poet.): vinis oculique animique natabant, Ov. F. 6, 673: moriens oculis natantibus Circumspexit Athin, id. M. 5, 72; Sil. 2, 122; cf.: ante oculos natant tenebrae, Ov. M. 12, 136: oculi natantes et quādam voluptate suffusi, Quint. 4, 3, 76.
      4. 4. To move to and fro, not stand still: nec vagus in laxā pes tibi pelle (i. e. calceo) natet, Ov. A. A. 1, 516; Calp. Ecl. 6, 43; Nemes. Cyn. 170.
      5. 5. Of birds, to fly: ardea sublimis pennae confisa natanti, Luc. 5, 554.
  2. II. Trop., to fluctuate, waver, be uncertain ( = titubare, huc atque illuc ferri): in quo quidem magis tu mihi natare visus es quam ipse Neptunus, Cic. N. D. 3, 24, 62: mutatio voluntatis indicat animum natare, Sen. Ep. 35, 4: pars multa (hominum) natat, modo recta capessens, Interdum pravis obnoxia, Hor. S. 2, 7, 6; Sil. 7, 726; Manil. 4, 256: vitreoque natant praetoria ponto, float or waver reflected in the water, Stat. S. 2, 2, 49.
    Hence, nătans, antis, P. a., swimming; hence, nătantes, ūm, poet. for fishes: genus omne natantum, Verg. G. 3, 541; Cael. Aur. Tard. 3, 2, § 31.