I.to be fluid or liquid.
I. Lit. (only in the part. pres.): “lac est omnium rerum liquentium maxime alibile,” Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 1: “vina liquentia fundere,” Verg. A. 5, 238: “caelum ac terras camposque liquentes,” id. ib. 6, 724: “fluvium liquentem,” id. G. 4, 442.—
II. Transf., to be clear: polus liquet, Prud. στεφ. 1, 88. —
III. Trop., to be clear, manifest, apparent, evident (class., but used for the most part only in the third pers. sing.): “quicquid incerti mihi in animo prius aut ambiguum fuit, Nunc liquet, nunc defaecatum est,” Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 69: “ut liqueant omnia,” id. Most. 2, 1, 69: “hoc non liquet nec satis cogitatum est, utrum, etc.,” id. Trin. 2, 1, 3: “Protagoras sese negat omnino de deis habere, quod liqueat,” Cic. N. D. 1, 12, 29; cf.: “cui (Protagorae) neutrum licuerit, nec esse deos nec non esse,” id. ib. 1, 42, 117: “te liquet esse meum,” Ov. Tr. 1, 1, 62: “si liquerit eum vivere,” Dig. 29, 3, 2.—In part. pres.: “fidei purae liquentisque (opp. turbidae, ambiguae),” Gell. 18, 5, 11.—
B. In partic.: non liquet, it doth not appear, a legal formula by which the judge declared that he was unable to decide respecting the guilt or innocence of the accused.—Hence also, in gen., it is not evident, it is doubtful: “non liquere dixerunt (judices),” Cic. Clu. 28, 76: “cum id de quo Panaetio non liquet, reliquis ejusdem disciplinae solis luce videatur clarius,” id. Div. 1, 3, 6: “juravi, mihi non liquere,” Gell. 14, 2, 25: “non liquet mihi,” Quint. 9, 3, 97.—So, on the contrary, liquet: “cum causam non audisset, dixit sibi liquere,” Cic. Caecin. 10, 29: “quid maxime liquere judici velit,” Quint. 3, 6, 12: “de quo liquet,” id. 3, 6, 35: “si liquebit mundum providentia regi,” id. 5, 10, 14: “mirabatur, id. cuiquam pro percepto liquere, stellas istas non esse plures, etc.,” Gell. 14, 1, 11.
