Lewis & Short

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tābes, is, f. [root in Gr. τήκω, ἐτάκην, to melt; suffix as in plebes, pubes], a wasting away, melting, dwindling, consumption corruption, putrefaction; a wasting disease, consumption, decline; plague, pestilence.

  1. I. Lit. (class.; syn. lues): aegritudo (habet) tabem, cruciatum, afflictationem, foeditatem, Cic. Tusc. 3, 13, 27: fames lenta nos consumit tabe, Plin. 2, 63, 63, § 156: atrox hiems seu parum provisi commeatus et orta ex utroque tabes, Tac. A. 12, 50: orta per Aegyptum, id. H. 5, 3: per tabem tot annorum omnibus consumptis, Liv. 40, 29, 5: cadaveris, Suet. Vit. 10; Luc. 2, 166; 7, 809: corpora … seu tabe vetustas Abstulerit, Ov. M. 15, 156: multorum tabe mensum mortuum, Liv. 3, 24, 4: arborum, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 225: soli, barrenness, id. 8, 21, 33, § 79: tanta vis morbi, uti tabes, plerosque civium animos invaserat, like a consuming fever, Sall. C. 36, 5; cf.: tanta vis avaritiae, velut tabes, invaserat, etc., id. J. 32, 4; id. Fragm. ap. Fest. p. 359; Liv. 2, 23, 6; cf. id. 7, 22, 5.
    Trop.: tabes crescentis fenoris, Liv. 7, 38, 7: infecit ea tabes legionum quoque motas jam mentes, Tac. H. 1, 26; 5, 3: oculorum, id. ib. 4, 81; Ov. M. 2, 807: quos durus amor crudeli tabe peredit, Verg. A. 6, 442; Cels. 3, 22.
  2. II. Transf., concr., the moisture of a melting or decaying substance, corruption (rare, and perh. not ante-Aug.): tabes liquentis nivis, Liv. 21, 36, 6; cf. Sen. Q. N. 4, 2; so, sanguinis, Liv. 30, 34, 10: funesta veneni, Ov. M. 3, 49: tinctaque mortiferā tabe sagitta madet, poison, id. P. 3, 1, 26: pituitae, Plin. 7, 16, 15, § 70: putri arboris, id. 15, 19, 21, § 80: cujus aceti asperitas visque in tabem margaritas resolvit, id. 9, 35, 58, § 120.