Excubo, éxcubas, pen. cor. excúbui, excúbitum, pen. cor. excubâre. Plau. To watch as in warce, or a princes guarde.Excubantes ad cubiculi limen excitauerunt.Liu.Excubare pro portis.Liu.To watch at the gates.Excubare ad portum. Cæs. To watch at the hauen.In agro armatos excubare.Cicer.To watche in harnesse in the field.Excubare in muris.Liu.To watch on the walles.Excubant in tutela ruris, in aqua satæ salices. Plin. Ante domum excubui.Ouid.Ante fores excubat Cerberus. Tibul. Excubat lautus ante limina. Pli. A bay tree groweth before the gate. Excubare animo.Cic.To be watchful, and haue an attentiue mind on a thing.Excubare & vigilare pro aliquo. Cicero. To watch and take good heede in ones behalfe.Excubare pro pace. Modestinus. To watch for peace.Excubat Reipub. cura apud nos. Plancus ad Senatum. Wet be careful and diligent for the common weale. Excubatur rerum non animi pretijs. Pli. They watche and take paine to get riches, and not to attaine good qualities of the minde.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
ex-cŭbo, bŭi, bĭtum, 1, v. n., to lie or sleep out of doors.I. In gen. (rare but class.): moniti Lacedaemonii, ut urbem et tecta linquerent armatique in agro excubarent, Cic. Div. 1, 50, 112: apes noctu deprehensae in expeditione excubant supinae, Plin. 11, 8, 8, 19.—B.Trop.: Graeciam alienis sedibus, Just. 8, 4, 7, v. Fittbogen ad h. l.—Far more freq., II. In partic., to lie out on guard, to keep watch, to watch.A.Lit.: duae semper legiones pro castris excubabant, Caes. B. G. 7, 24, 5: legiones in armis, id. ib. 7, 11, 6: legiones ad mare, id. B. C. 3, 63, 6: cohortes ad munitionem, id. ib. 3, 50, 1: legio per muros, Verg. A. 9, 175: excubitum in porta cohortes mittere, Sall. J. 100, 4: Cerberus excubat ante fores, Tib. 1, 3, 72: quae (naves) ad portum excubabant,
kept watch
, Caes. B. C. 2, 22, 3 et saep.—Poet.: (Cupido Chiae) Pulchris excubat in genis,
sits on the watch
,
lurks
, Hor. C. 4, 13, 8.—Of things as subjects: alni contra erumpentium amnium impetus riparum muro in tutela ruris excubant, Plin. 16, 37, 67, 173: laurus ante limina excubat, id. 15, 30, 39, 127.—B.Trop., to watch, be watchful or vigilant, to be on the alert: cum Caesar ad opus consuetudine excubaret, etc., Caes. B. G. 7, 24, 2: in navibus, id. B. C. 3, 8 fin.: excubabo vigilaboque pro vobis, Cic. Phil. 6, 7, 18: sapiens semper animo sic excubat, ut nihil ei improvisum accidere possit, id. Tusc. 4, 17, 37: curam rei publicae summae defendundae jam pridem apud vos excubare, is watchful, active, Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 8, 5: omnis eorum ars urbibus excubabat, i. e.