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.

† spīra, ae, f., = σπεῖρα.

  1. I. That which is wound, wreathed, coiled, or twisted; a coil, fold, twist, spire (cf. orbis); of a serpent, Verg. G. 2, 154; id. A. 2, 217; Ov. M. 3, 77.
    Of the grain of wood, Plin. 16, 39, 76, § 198.
    Of the intestines, Lact. Opif. Dei, 11, § 16.
  2. II. Concr.: spira dicitur et basis columnae unius tori aut duorum, et genus operis pistorii, et funis nauticus in orbem convolutus, ab eādem omnes similitudine. Pacuvius: Quid cessatis, socii, ejicere spiras sparteas? Ennius quidem hominum multitudinem ita appellat, cum ait: spiras legionibus nexunt, Fest. p. 300 Müll. (Ann. v. 501 Vahl., where the read. is nexit).
    So,
    1. A. The base of a column, Vitr. 3, 3; 4, 1; Plin. 36, 23, 56, § 179.
    2. B. A kind of twisted cake, a twist, cracknel, Cato, R. R. 77.
    3. C. A coil of rope, Pac. ap. Fest. l. l.
    4. D. A braid of hair, Plin. 9, 35, 58, § 117; Val. Fl. 6, 396.
    5. E. A twisted tie for fastening the hat under the chin, Juv. 8, 208.
  3. F. A confused crowd of men, Enn. ap. Fest. l. l.

spīro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [etym. dub.].

  1. I. Neutr., to breathe, blow, etc. (cf. flo).
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. In gen. (only poet. and in postAug. prose): freta circum Fervescunt graviter spirantibus incita flabris, Lucr. 6, 428; Ov. M. 7, 532: obturatis, quā spiraturus est ventus, cavernis, Plin. 8, 38, 58, § 138: emicat ex oculis, spiratque e pectore flamma, breathes forth, bursts forth, Ov. M. 8, 356: aequatae spirant aurae, Verg. A. 5, 844: graviter spirantis copia thymbrae, strongscented, Verg. G. 4, 31; cf.: semper odoratis spirabunt floribus arae, Stat. S. 3, 3, 211: seu spirent cinnama surdum, emit a slight fragrance, Pers. 6, 35: quā vada non spirant, nec fracta remurmurat unda, roar, rage, Verg. A. 10, 291; cf.: fervet fretis spirantibus aequor, boiling up, foaming, id. G. 1, 327.
      2. 2. In partic., to breathe, draw breath, respire (the class. signif. of the word; cf. anhelo): cum spirantes mixtas hinc ducimus auras, Lucr. 6, 1129: quae deseri a me, dum quidem spirare potero, nefas judico, Cic. N. D. 3, 40, 94: ne spirare quidem sine metu possunt, id. Rosc. Am. 23, 65; id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 1: vehementer et crebro spirare, Cels. 2, 4: querulum spirat, breathes plaintively, Mart. 2, 26, 1.
        1. b. Transf.
          1. (α) Like the Engl. to breathe, = to live, be alive (usu. in the part. pres.): sunt qui ab eo (Clodio) spirante forum putent potuisse defendi, cujus non restiterit cadaveri curia (corresp. to vivus), Cic. Mil. 33, 91: ut in vivi etiam et spirantis capite bustum imponeret, id. Dom. 52, 134; cf.: margarita viva ac spirantia saxis avelli, Tac. Agr. 12 fin.: Catilina inter hostium cadavera repertus est, paululum etiam spirans, Sall. C. 61, 4: spirantia consulit exta, still panting, Verg. A. 4, 64: artus, Luc. 3, 732: corpora, id. 1, 363: non sunt ausi admovere (corpori), velut spiranti, manus, Curt. 10, 10, 13; Sil. 2, 430; cf. in verb. finit.: spirant venae corque adhuc paviduin salit, Sen. Thyest. 756.
          2. * (β) Of aspirated letters: quibus (litteris) nullae apud eos dulcius spirant, sound, Quint. 12, 10, 27.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. (Acc. to I. A. 1.) To be favorable, to favor (the fig. taken from a favorable wind): quod si tam facilis spiraret Cynthia nobis, Prop. 2, 24 (3, 18), 5: di maris et terrae … spirate secundi, Verg. A. 3, 529.
      2. 2. (Acc. to I. A. 2.) To breathe, live, be alive: videtur Laelii mens spirare etiam in scriptis, Galbae autem vis occidisse, Cic. Brut. 24, 94; cf.: spirat adhuc amor Vivuntque calores Aeoliae puellae, Hor. C. 4, 9, 10.
        Of life-like representations by painting, sculpture, etc.: excudent alii spirantia mollius aera, Verg. A. 6, 847: Parii lapidis spirantia signa, id. G. 3, 34: spirat et arguta picta tabella manu, Mart. 7, 84, 2; 11, 10, 7.
      3. 3. To be poetically inspired, to have the lyric spirit: quod spiro, et placeo, si placeo, tuum est, Hor. C. 4, 3, 24 (Orell. ad loc.).
      4. 4. Spirare alte, altius, to be puffed up, proud, or arrogant, Flor. 2, 2, 27: Eusebium alte spirantem addixere poenae, Amm. 22, 3, 12.
  2. II. Act., to breathe out, exhale, emit (mostly poet. and post-Aug.; not in Cic.; syn. exhalo).
    1. A. Lit.: Diomedis equi spirantes naribus ignem, Lucr. 5, 29: flammam spirantes ore Chimaerae, id. 2, 705; so, flammas spirantes boves, Liv. 22, 17: flamina, Ov. F. 4, 18: Zephyros spirare secundos, Verg. A. 4, 562: tenuem animam, to breathe feebly, Val. Fl. 4, 436: ambrosiaeque comae divinum vertice odorem Spiravere, exhaled, Verg. A. 1, 404; Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 81.
    2. B. Trop., to breathe forth, exhale: pinguia Poppaeana, Juv. 6, 466: mendacia, id. 7, 111: ut vidit vastos telluris hiatus Divinam spirare fidem (i. e. oracula), Luc. 5, 83.
      1. 2. To breathe into: ficto Corpori animam, Lact. 2, 11, 3.
      2. 3. Transf., like the Engl. to breathe, i. e. to be full of; to show, express, manifest; to design, intend a thing (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): tantum spirantes aequo certamine bellum. Lucr. 5, 392: mollem spirare quietem, Prop. 1, 3, 7: quae spirabat amores, Hor. C. 4, 13, 19: inquietum hominem et tribunatum etiam nunc spirantem, Liv. 3, 46: fratris facta spirans, imitating, Sil. 15, 411; cf.: fratrem spirat in armis, id. 3, 740: spirantes proelia dira effigies, id. 17, 398.
        Often with neutr. adj. used adverb.: magnum, Prop. 2, 15 (3, 7), 53: majora, Curt. 6, 9, 11: immane, Verg. A. 7, 510: tragicum satis, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 166; cf. id. C. 4, 3, 24: quiddam indomitum, Flor. 1, 22, 1: cruenta, Amm. 16, 1, 5.