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.

nătātus, ūs, m. [natator], a swimming (postAug.), Stat. S. 1, 5, 25: piscium natatu, Pall. 1, 17, 2: fluvios natatu scindere, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 347; cf. id. Rapt. Pros. 3, 333.

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.