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nutare

1 nutare [CL] 1 to nod, bow (as sign of assent or respect, also tr.). artes confutant, quibus urbes menia nutant [gl.: inclinant se, ad honorem quarum artium] Garl. Mor. Scol. 128; idram, que vultibus / ad omnes omnium nutus nutantibus / blanditur Walt. Wimb. Palpo 143; 1441 ubi de ambassiata fit sermo, caput ~at Bekynton I 231. 2 a (of person) to totter, stagger. b (of tree) to topple. c (of building) to totter, give way. d (quasi-fig.). a corda timore rigent, pes nutat membraque frigent R. Cant. Malch. app. p. 172 1. 854; tu nutantis es bacillus, / tu Tonantis es pulvillus / et reclinatorium Walt. Wimb. Virgo 66; felix qui biberit tantum ut pereat / nutans et ebrius et vinum oleat Id. Carm. 171; ~at ut ebrius AncrR 77 (v. ebrius 1a).  b cum [fraxinus] jam casura ‥ ~aret ‥ sub securi W. Cant. Mir. Thom. VI 41.  c en, statim fulcra flamine / nutabant a fundamine (Aldh.) Carm. Aldh. 1. 132; moenia marcescunt et propugnacula nutant, / quae quassat caries Aldh. VirgV 639; nec Bacchus valuit ‥ / ‥ / numine nutantes fani fulcire columnas, / sed titubant templi ‥ marmora Ib. 1335.  d littera si titubet vel certe sillaba nutet Aldh. VirgV 2839; vel neglectu officii vel arrogantie tumore ~antes impellens ‥ in ima vitiorum lapsos gravius allidat Gir. TH I 22; animum ‥ per diversa ~antem nimium perturbat horum improvidentia Chr. Battle f. 66; alta petens casum metuo, per lubrica nuto, / per clivum repo, per mare preda nato Garl. Epith. VI 125. 3 to waver, be uncertain. quatenus inflictis nutarent pectora flagris Aldh. VirgV 1059; quamvis sic intellectu penetrari non possint ‥ nullatenus tamen certitudinis eorum ~at soliditas Anselm (Mon. 64) I 75; ita ‥ ut ubi erravero, corrigas et ~antem ‥ sententie tue auctoritate corrobores Ailr. An. III 1; 1166 ut ~antium firmetis fidem J. Sal. Ep. 183 (175) p. 162; ab ejus firmitudine nulla umquam hesitatione ~avi P. Blois Serm. 772D; exercitus et qui supererant de indigenis sine rege ~antes NLA I 234. 4 (tr) to cause to founder. divertant cursus fluminum et minas nutandi [v. l.l. imitandi, ed. conject. nudandi], muris fodiendi opera subministrent Ps.-Elmh. Hen. V 18.
2 nutare v. urcare

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