LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbthird conjugation, impersonal in the passive

cadō

cadō (present infinitive cadere, perfect active cecidī, supine cāsum)
Classical[ˈka.doː]Ecclesiastical[ˈkaː.do]
№ 210 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. impersonalto fall, to fall out
  2. impersonalto fall in battle, die, be slain, fall so as to be unable to rise
    sīc iterum, sīc saepe caduntAgain in this way, and thus so often, they fall [in the battle].8 CE, Ovidius, Fasti 2.212–213
  3. impersonalto be frustrated, fail, to be or remain fruitless
  4. impersonalto lose all one's strength, worth, value, perish, vanish, cease, decay
    quod alienis cladibus ceciderant animiBecause their spirit had been decayed by the defeats of the others27 BCE – 25 BCE, Titus Livius, Ab urbe condita I.11
  5. impersonalto abate, to subside, to die away
    sīc cūnctus pelagī cecidit fragorIn this way all the clamor of the sea subsided29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 1.154
  6. impersonalto suit, to be suitable for (+ in + accusative)
  7. impersonalto fall under, to come under (+ in or sub + accusative)
  8. impersonalto happen, occur, befall, fall upon, fall to, turn out come to pass

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

ad terram feror; quī currit, saepe cadit.
cadō -ere cecidī — in Mille Verba, ch. Via et Iter
falls
cadit — in Seneca, ch. V

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Labi · Cadere

Labi (from λείβω) means to fall, with reference to the point from which, and to the space through which, any one glides or sinks down, like ὀλισθεῖν; whereas cadere means to fall, with reference to the point which a man reaches by his fall, as to come to the ground, like πεσεῖν. Virg. Æn. vi. 310. Lapsa cadunt folia. Cic. Brut. 49. Quibus vitiis labatur aut cadat orator. (i. 128.)

Casu · Forte · Fortuito · Fortasse · Forsitan · Haud scio an

Casu, forte, and fortuito, denote a casualty, and indeed, casu, in opp. to consulto, συμβεβηκότως; forte, without particular stress on the casualty, τυχόν; fortuito, fortuitu, emphatically, by mere chance, in opp. to causa, ἀπὸ τύχης; whereas fortasse, forsitan, and haud scio an, denote possibility, and indeed fortasse, fortassis, with an emphatic perception and affirmation of the possibility, as approaching to probability, and are in construction with the indicative, ἴσως; forsitan, forsan, with merely an occasional perception of the possibility, and are in construction with a conjunctive, τάχ’ ἄν; haud scio an, with a modest denial of one’s own certainty; consequently, haud scio an is an euphemistic limitation of the assertion. Fortasse verum est, and forsitan verum sit, mean, perhaps it is true, perhaps not; but haud scio an verum sit means, I think it true, but I will not affirm it as certain. (v. 294.)

Conjugation conjugation 3

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.cadōcadēbamcadamcecidīcecideramceciderō
2nd sg.cadiscadēbāscadēscecidistīceciderāscecideris
3rd sg.caditcadēbatcadetceciditcecideratceciderit
1st pl.cadimuscadēbāmuscadēmuscecidimusceciderāmusceciderimus
2nd pl.caditiscadēbātiscadētiscecidistisceciderātiscecideritis
3rd pl.caduntcadēbantcadentcecidērunt
cecidēre		ceciderantceciderint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.cadamcaderemceciderimcecidissem
2nd sg.cadāscaderēsceciderīscecidissēs
3rd sg.cadatcaderetcecideritcecidisset
1st pl.cadāmuscaderēmusceciderīmuscecidissēmus
2nd pl.cadātiscaderētisceciderītiscecidissētis
3rd pl.cadantcaderentceciderintcecidissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.———
2nd sg.———
3rd sg.caditurcadēbāturcadētur
1st pl.———
2nd pl.———
3rd pl.———
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.——
2nd sg.——
3rd sg.cadāturcaderētur
1st pl.——
2nd pl.——
3rd pl.——
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.cade—
pres. 2nd pl.cadite—
fut. 2nd sg.caditō—
fut. 3rd sg.caditōcaditor
fut. 2nd pl.caditōte—
fut. 3rd pl.caduntō—
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivecaderecadī
perfect infinitivececidissecāsum esse
future infinitivecāsūrum essecāsum īrī
present participlecadēns—
perfect participle—cāsum
future participlecāsūrus
cāsūra, cāsūrā, cāsūrae, cāsūram, cāsūrārum, cāsūrās, cāsūre, cāsūrī, cāsūrīs, cāsūrō, cāsūrōrum, cāsūrōs, cāsūrum		cadendum
cadundum
gerundcadendī, cadendō, cadendumsupinecāsum, cāsū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

animi cadunt
their courage is ebbing.
fabula cadit
a piece is a failure, falls flat.
numerose cadere
to have a rhythmical cadence.
hoc cadit in aliquid
this can be said of..., applies to...
ventus cadit, cessat
the wind dies down, ceases.
oratio numerose cadit
his style has a well-balanced cadence.
animo cadere, deficere
to lose courage; to despair.
utcumque res ceciderit
whatever happens; in any case.
18 more phrases
in controversiam cadere
to be at variance with.
in terram cadere, decidere
to fall to the earth.
hoc in sapientem non cadit
it is incompatible with the nature of a wise man; the wise are superior to such things.
in suspicionem vocari, cadere
to become the object of suspicion.
nescio quo casu (with Indic.)
by some chance or other.
res aliter cecidit ac putaveram
the result has surprised me; I was not prepared for this development.
quorsum haec res cadet or evadet?
what will be the issue, end, consequence of the matter?
nostri circiter centum ceciderunt
about a hundred of our men fell.
res ad extremum casum perducta est
affairs are desperate; we are reduced to extremeties.
aliquid cadit in meam consuetudinem
it is my custom.
spes ad irritum cadit, ad irritum redigitur
expectation is overthrown.
sub sensum or sub oculos, sub aspectum cadere
to come within the sphere of the senses.
aliquid cadit in deliberationem (Off. 1. 3. 9)
a subject becomes matter for reflection.
causā or lite cadere (owing to some informality)
to lose one's case.
id, de quo agitur or id quod cadit in controversiam
the point at issue.
in vituperationem, reprehensionem cadere, incidere, venire
to suffer reproof; to be criticised, blamed.
suspicio (alicuius rei) cadit in aliquem, pertinet ad aliquem
a suspicion falls on some one.
haec vox longa syllaba terminatur, in longam syllabam cadit, exit
this word ends in a long syllable.

cădo, cĕcĭdi, cāsum, 3 (
I. part. pres. gen. plur. cadentūm, Verg. A. 10, 674; 12, 410), v. n. cf. Sanscr. çad-, to fall away.
I. Lit.
A. In an extended sense, to be driven or carried by one's weight from a higher to a lower point, to fall down, be precipitated, sink down, go down, sink, fall (so mostly poet.; in prose, in place of it, the compounds decĭdo, occĭdo, excĭdo, etc.; cf. also ruo, labor; opp. surgo, sto): tum arbores in te cadent, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 25: (aves) praecipites cadunt in terram aut in aquam, fall headlong to the earth or into the water, Lucr. 6, 745; cf. id. 6, 828; imitated by Verg.: (apes) praecipites cadunt, Verg. G. 4, 80: nimbus, Ut picis e caelo demissum flumen, in undas Sic cadit, etc., Lucr. 6, 258: cadit in terras vis flammea, id. 2, 215; so with in, id. 2, 209; 4, 1282; 6, 1006; 6, 1125; Prop. 4 (5), 4, 64. in patrios pedes, Ov. F. 2, 832.—With a different meaning: omnes plerumque cadunt in vulnus, in the direction of, towards their wound, Lucr. 4, 1049; cf.: prolapsa in vulnus moribunda cecidit, Liv. 1, 58, 11: cadit in vultus, Ov. M. 5, 292: in pectus, id. ib. 4, 579.—Less freq. with ad: ad terras, Plin. 2, 97, 99, § 216: ad terram, Quint. 5, 10, 84.—The place from which is designated by ab, ex, de: a summo cadere, Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 15: a mento cadit manus, Ov. F. 3, 20: aves ab alto, Plin. 10, 38, 54, § 112: ut cadat (avis) e regione loci, Lucr. 6, 824: ex arbore, Plin. 17, 20, 34, § 148; Dig. 50, 16, 30, § 4; 18, 1, 80, § 2: cecidisse de equo dicitur, Cic. Clu. 62, 175: cadere de equo, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 125 (for which Cæsar, Nepos, and Pliny employ decidere): de manibus arma cecidissent, Cic. Phil. 14, 7, 21; cf.: de manibus civium delapsa arma ipsa ceciderunt, id. Off. 1, 22, 77: cadunt altis de montibus umbrae, Verg. E. 1, 84: de caelo, Lucr. 5, 791; Ov. M. 2, 322: de matre (i. e. nasci), Claud. in Rufin. 1, 92.—With per: per inane profundum, Lucr. 2, 222: per aquas, id. 2, 230: per salebras altaque saxa, Mart. 11, 91; cf.: imbre per indignas usque cadente genas, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 18.—With the adverb altius: altius atque cadant summotis nubibus imbres, and poured forth from a greater height, etc., Verg. E. 6, 38.—And absol.: folia nunc cadunt, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 24; Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 12; Lucr. 6, 297: ut pluere in multis regionibus et cadere imbres, id. 6, 415: cadens nix, id. 3, 21; 3, 402: velut si prolapsus cecidisset, Liv. 1, 56, 12: quaeque ita concus sa est, ut jam casura putetur, Ov. P. 2, 3, 59: cadentem Sustinuisse, id. M. 8, 148: saepius, of epileptics, Plin. Val. 12, 58: casuri, si leviter excutiantur, flosculi, Quint. 12, 10, 73.—
2. Esp.
a. Of heavenly bodies, to decline, set (opp. orior), Ov. F. 1, 295: oceani finem juxta solemque cadentem, Verg. A. 4, 480; 8, 59; Tac. G. 45: soli subjecta cadenti arva, Avien. Descr. Orb. 273; cf. Tac. Agr. 12: quā (nocte) tristis Orion cadit, Hor. Epod. 10, 10: Arcturus cadens, id. C. 3, 1, 27.—
b. To separate from something by falling, to fall off or away, fall out, to drop off, be shed, etc.: nam tum dentes mihi cadebant primulum, Plaut. Men. 5, 9, 57: dentes cadere imperat aetas, Lucr. 5, 671; Sen. Ep. 12, 3; 83, 3: pueri qui primus ceciderit dens, Plin. 28, 4, 9, § 41: barba, Verg. E. 1, 29: quam multa in silvis autumni frigore primo Lapsa cadunt folia, id. A. 6, 310; cf. Cat. 11, 22; Hor. A. P. 61: lanigeris gregibus Sponte suā lanae cadunt, Ov. M. 7, 541: saetae, id. ib. 14, 303: quadrupedibus pilum cadere, Plin. 11, 39, 94, § 231: poma, Ov. M. 7, 586: cecidere manu quas legerat, herbae, id. ib. 14, 350: elapsae manibus cecidere tabellae, id. ib. 9, 571: et colus et fusus digitis cecidere remissis, id. ib. 4, 229.—
c. Of a stream, to fall, empty itself: amnis Aretho cadit in sinum maris, Liv. 38, 4, 3; 38, 13, 6; 44, 31, 4: flumina in pontum cadent, Sen. Med. 406: flumina in Hebrum cadentia, Plin. 4, 11, 18, § 50: tandem in alterum amnem cadit, Curt. 6, 4, 6.—
d. Of dice, to be thrown or cast; to turn up: illud, quod cecidit forte, Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 23 sq.; Liv. 2, 12, 16.—
e. Alicui (alicujus) ad pedes, to fall at one's feet in supplication, etc. (post-class. for abicio, proicio), Sen. Contr. 1, 1, 19; Eutr. 4, 7; Aug. Serm. 143, 4; Vulg. Joan. 11, 32 al.—
f. Super collum allcujus, to embrace (late Lat.), Vulg. Luc. 15, 20.—
B. In a more restricted sense.
1. To fall, to fall down, drop, fall to, be precipitated, etc.; to sink down, to sink, settle (the usual class. signif. in prose and poetry): cadere in plano, Ov. Tr. 3, 4, 17 sq.: deorsum, Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 89: uspiam, Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 12: Brutus, velut si prolapsus cecidisset, Liv. 1, 56, 12; cf. id. 5, 21, 16; 1, 58, 12: dum timent, ne aliquando cadant, semper jacent, Quint. 8, 5, 32: sinistrā manu sinum ad ima crura deduxit (Caesar), quo honestius caderet, Suet. Caes. 82: cadere supinus, id. Aug. 43 fin.: in pectus pronus, Ov. M. 4, 579: cadunt toti montes, Lucr. 6, 546: radicitus exturbata (pinus) prona cadit, Cat. 64, 109: concussae cadunt urbes, Lucr. 5, 1236: casura moenia Troum, Ov. M. 13, 375; id. H. 13, 71: multaque praeterea ceciderunt moenia magnis motibus in terris, Lucr. 6, 588: languescunt omnia membra; bracchia palpebraeque cadunt, their arms and eyelids fall, id. 4, 953; 3, 596; so, ceciderunt artus, id. 3, 453: sed tibi tamen oculi, voltus, verba cecidissent, Cic. Dom. 52, 133; cf.: oculos vigiliā fatigatos cadentesque in opere detineo, Sen. Ep. 8, 1: patriae cecidere manus, Verg. A. 6, 33: cur facunda parum decoro Inter verba cadit lingua silentio? Hor. C. 4, 1, 36: cecidere illis animique manusque, Ov. M. 7, 347; Val. Fl. 1, 300; cf. II. F. infra.—
2. In a pregn. signif. (as in most langg., to fall in battle, to die), to fall so as to be unable to rise, to fall dead, to fall, die (opp. vivere), Prop. 2 (3), 28, 42.(usu. of those who die in battle; hence most freq. in the histt.): hostes crebri cadunt, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 79 sq.: aut in acie cadendum fuit aut in aliquas insidias incidendum, Cic. Fam. 7, 3, 3; Curt. 4, 1, 28; Ov. M. 7, 142: ut cum dignitate potius cadamus quam cum ignominiā serviamus, Cic. Phil. 3, 14, 35: pauci de nostris cadunt, Caes. B. G. 1, 15; id. B. C. 3, 53: optimus quisque cadere aut sauciari, Sall. J. 92, 8; so id. C. 60, 6; id. J. 54, 10; Nep. Paus. 1, 2; id. Thras. 2, 7; id. Dat. 1, 2; 6, 1; 8, 3; Liv. 10, 35, 15 and 19; 21, 7, 10; 23, 21, 7; 29, 14, 8; Tac. G. 33; Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 27; Ov. M. 7, 142: per acies, Tac. A. 1, 2: pro patriā, Quint. 2, 15, 29: ante diem, Verg. A. 4, 620: bipenni, Ov. M. 12, 611: ense, Val. Fl. 1, 812.—Not in battle: inque pio cadit officio, Ov. M. 6, 250.—With abl. of means or instrument: suoque Marte (i. e. suā manu) cadunt, Ov. M. 3, 123; cf. Tac. A. 3, 42 fin.: suā manu cecidit, fell by his own hand, id. ib. 15, 71: exitu voluntario, id. H. 1, 40: muliebri fraude cadere, id. A. 2, 71: cecidere justā Morte Centauri, cecidit tremendae Flamma Chimaerae, Hor. C. 4, 2, 14 sq.: manu femineā, Sen. Herc. Oet. 1179: femineo Marte, Ov. M. 12, 610.—With abl. of agent with ab: torqueor, infesto ne vir ab hoste cadat, should be slain by, Ov. H. 9, 36; so id. M. 5, 192; Suet. Oth. 5: a centurione volneribus adversis tamquam in pugnā, Tac. A. 16, 9.—And without ab: barbarae postquam cecidere turmae Thessalo victore, Hor. C. 2, 4, 9; imitated by Claudian, IV. Cons. Hon. 89; Grat. Cyn. 315.—
b. Of victims, to be slain or offered, to be sacrificed, to fall (poet.): multa tibi ante aras nostrā cadet hostia dextrā, Verg. A. 1, 334: si tener pleno cadit haedus anno, Hor. C. 3, 18, 5; Tib. 1, 1, 23; 4, 1, 15; Ov. M. 7, 162; 13, 615; id. F. 4, 653.—
3. In mal. part., = succumbo, to yield to, Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 104; Tib. 4, 10, 2; Sen. Contr. 1, 3, 7.—
4. Matre cadens, just born (poet.), Val. Fl. 1, 355; cf. of the custom of laying the new-born child at the father's feet: tellure cadens. Stat. S. 1, 2, 209; 5, 5, 69.
II. Trop.
A. To come or fall under, to fall, to be subject or exposed to something (more rare than its compound incidere, but class.); constr. usually with sub or in, sometimes with ad: sub sensus cadere nostros, i. e. to be perceived by the senses, Lucr. 1, 448: sub sensum, Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 48: in cernendi sensum. id. Tim. 3: sub oculos, id. Or. 3, 9: in conspectum, to become visible, id. Tusc. 1, 22, 50: sub aurium mensuram, id. Or. 20, 67: sponte suā (genus humanum) cecidit sub leges artaque jura, subjected itself to law and the force of right, Lucr. 5, 1146; so id. 3, 848: ad servitia, Liv. 1, 40, 3: utrorum ad regna, Lucr. 3, 836; so, sub imperium dicionemque Romanorum, Cic. Font. 5, 12 (1, 2): in potestatem unius, id. Att. 8, 3, 2: in cogitationem, to suggest itself to the thoughts, id. N. D. 1, 9, 21: in hominum disceptationem, id. de Or. 2, 2, 5: in deliberationem, id. Off. 1, 3, 9: in offensionem alicujus, id. N. D. 1, 30, 85: in morbum, id. Tusc. 1, 32, 79: in suspitionem alicujus, Nep. Paus. 2, 6: in calumniam, Quint. 9, 4, 57: abrupte cadere in narrationem, id. 4, 1, 79: in peccatum, Aug. in Psa. 65, 13.—
B. In gen.: in or sub aliquem or aliquid, to belong to any object, to be in accordance with, agree with, refer to, be suitable to, to fit, suit, become (so esp. freq. in philos. and rhet. lang.): non cadit in hos mores, non in hunc pudorem, non in hanc vitam, non in hunc hominem ista suspitio, Cic. Sull. 27, 75: cadit ergo in bonum virum mentiri, emolumenti sui causā? id. Off. 3, 20, 81; so id. Cael. 29, 69; id. Har. Resp. 26, 56: haec Academica... in personas non cadebant, id. Att. 13, 19, 5: qui pedes in orationem non cadere quī possunt? id. Or. 56, 188: neque in unam formam cadunt omnia, id. ib. 11, 37; 57, 191; 27, 95; id. de Or. 3, 47, 182; Quint. 3, 7, 6; 4, 2, 37; 4, 2, 93; 6, prooem. § 5; 7, 2, 30 and 31; Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 82: heu, cadit in quemquam tantum scelus? Verg. E. 9, 17; Cic. Or. 27, 95; 11, 37; Quint. 3, 5, 16; 3, 6, 91; 5, 10, 30; 6, 3, 52; 7, 2, 31; 9, 1, 7; 9, 3, 92: hoc quoque in rerum naturam cadit, ut, etc., id. 2, 17, 32: in iis rebus, quae sub eandem rationem cadunt, Cic. Inv. 1, 30, 47; Quint. 8, 3, 56.—
C. To fall upon a definite time (rare): considera, ne in alienissimum tempus cadat adventus tuus, Cic. Fam. 15, 14, 4: in id saeculum Romuli cecidit aetas, cum, etc., id. Rep. 2, 10, 18.—Hence, in mercantile lang., of payments, to fall due: in eam diem cadere (were due) nummos, qui a Quinto debentur, Cic. Att. 15, 20, 4.—
D. (Acc. to I. 1. e.) Alicui, to fall to one (as by lot), fall to one's lot, happen to one, befall; and absol. (for accidere), to happen, come to pass, occur, result, turn out, fall out (esp. in an unexpected manner; cf. accido; very freq. in prose and poetry).
1. Alicui: nihil ipsis jure incommodi cadere possit, Cic. Quint. 16, 51: hoc cecidit mihi peropportune, quod, etc., id. de Or. 2, 4, 15; id. Att. 3, 1: insperanti mihi, cecidit, ut, etc., id. de Or. 1, 21, 96; id. Att. 8, 3, 6; id. Mil. 30, 81: mihi omnia semper honesta et jucunda ceciderunt, id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 1: sunt, quibus ad portas cecidit custodia sorti, Verg. G. 4, 165: haec aliis maledicta cadant, Tib. 1, 6, 85: neu tibi pro vano verba benigna cadunt, Prop. 1, 10, 24: ut illis... voluptas cadat dura inter saepe pericla, Hor. S. 1, 2, 40: verba cadentia, uttered at random, id. Ep. 1, 18, 12.—
2. Ab sol., Afran. ap. Charis. p. 195 P.; Cic. Leg .2, 13, 33: verebar quorsum id casurum esset, how it would turn out, id. Att. 3, 24: aliorsum vota ceciderunt, Flor. 2, 4, 5: cum aliter res cecidisset ac putasses, had turned out differently from what was expected, Cic. Fam. 5, 19, 1: sane ita cadebat ut vellem, id. Att. 3, 7, 1; id. Div. 2, 52, 107; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 12, 3; Cic. Verr. 1, 2, 5; Caes. B. C. 3, 73, Nep. Milt. 2, 5 Dähne: cum, quae tum maxime acciderant, casura praemonens, a furioso incepto eos deterreret, Liv. 36, 34, 3; 22, 40, 3; 35, 13, 9; 38, 46, 6; Plin. Pan. 31, 1; Tac. A. 2, 80; 6, 8; Suet. Tib. 14 al.; Verg. A. 2, 709: ut omnia fortiter fiant, feliciter cadant, Sen. Suas. 2, p. 14: multa. fortuito in melius casura, Tac. A. 2, 77.—With adj.: si non omnia caderent secunda, Caes. B. C. 3, 73: vota cadunt, i.e. rata sunt, are fulfilled, realized, Tib. 2, 2, 17 (diff. from Prop. 1, 17, 4; v. under F.).—
3. With in and acc.: nimia illa libertas et populis et privatis in nimiam servitutem cadit (cf. μεταβάλλει), Cic. Rep. 1, 44, 68.—Esp.: in (ad) irritum or cassum, to be frustrated, fail, be or remain fruitless: omnia in cassum cadunt, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 147; Lucr. 2, 1166: ad irritum cadens spes, Liv. 2, 6, 1; so Tac. H. 3, 26: in irritum, id. A. 15, 39; cf. with irritus, adj.: ut irrita promissa ejus caderent, Liv. 2, 31, 5: haud irritae cecidere minae, id. 6, 35, 10.—
E. To fall, to become less (in strength, power, worth, etc.), to decrease, diminish, lessen: cadunt vires, Lucr. 5, 410: mercenarii milites pretia militiae casura in pace aegre ferebant, Liv. 34, 36, 7.—More freq. in an extended signif. (acc. to I. B. 2.),
F. To lose all one's strength, worth, value, etc., to fall, to perish, vanish, decay, cease.
1. In gen.: pellis item cecidit, vestis contempta ferina. declined in value, Lucr. 5, 1417: turpius est enim privatim cadere (i. e. fortunis everti) quam publice, Cic. Att. 16, 15, 6; so id. Fam. 6, 10, 2: atque ea quidem tua laus pariter cum re publicā cecidit, id. Off. 2, 13, 45: tanta civitas, si cadet, id. Har. Resp. 20, 42: huc cecidisse Germanici exercitus gloriam, ut, etc., Tac. H. 3, 13: non tibi ingredienti fines ira cecidit? Liv. 2, 40, 7; Pers. 5, 91: amicitia nec debilitari animos aut cadere patitur, Cic. Lael. 7, 23: animus, to fail, Liv. 1, 11, 3; Ov. M. 11, 537; cf. id. ib. 7, 347: non debemus ita cadere animis, etc., to lose courage, be disheartened, Cic. Fam. 6, 1, 4: tam graviter, id. Off. 1, 21, 73; cf. Sen. Ep. 8, 3.—Esp., to fail in speaking: magnus orator est... minimeque in lubrico versabitur, et si semel constiterit numquam cadet, Cic. Or. 28, 98: alte enim cadere non potest, id. ib. —So in the lang. of the jurists, causā or formulā, to lose one's cause or suit: causā cadere, Cic. Inv. 2, 19, 57; so id. de Or. 1, 36, 166 sq.; id. Fam. 7, 14, 1; Quint. 7, 3, 17; Luc. 2, 554; Suet. Calig. 39: formulā cadere, Sen. Ep. 48, 10; Quint. 3, 6, 69.—With in: ita quemquam cadere in judicio, ut, etc., Cic. Mur. 28, 58.—Also absol.: cadere, Tac. H. 4, 6; and: criminibus repetundarum, id. ib. 1, 77: conjurationis crimine, id. A. 6, 14: ut cecidit Fortuna Phrygum, Ov. M. 13, 435: omniaque ingrato litore vota cadunt, i. e. irrita sunt, remain unfulfilled, unaccomplished, Prop. 1, 17, 4 (diff. from Tib. 2, 2, 17; v. above, D. 2.); cf.: at mea nocturno verba cadunt zephyro, Prop. 1, 16, 34: multa renascentur, quae jam cecidere, cadentque Quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula, to fall into disuse, grow out of date, Hor. A. P. 70 —Hence of theatrical representations, to fall through, to fail, be condemned (opp. stare, to win applause; the fig. derived from combatants): securus cadat an recto stet fabula talo, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 176.—Impers.. periculum est, ne cadatur, Aug. Don. Persev. 1.—
2. Esp. of the wind (opp. surgo), to abate, subside, die away, etc.: cadit Eurus et umida surgunt Nubila, Ov. M. 8, 2: ventus premente nebulā cecidit, Liv. 29, 27, 10: cadente jam Euro, id. 25, 27, 11: venti vis omnis cecidit, id. 26, 39, 8: ubi primum aquilones ceciderunt, id. 36, 43, 11; cf.: sic cunctus pelagi cecidit fragor, Verg. A. 1, 154: ventosi ceciderunt murmuris aurae, id. E. 9, 58; id. G. 1, 354 Serv. and Wagn.—
G. Rhet. and gram. t. t. of words, syllables, clauses, etc., to be terminated, end, close: verba melius in syllabas longiores cadunt, Cic. Or. 57, 194; 67, 223: qua (littera sc. m) nullum Graece verbum cadit, Quint. 12, 10, 31: plerique censent cadere tantum numerose oportere terminarique sententiam, Cic. Or. 59, 199; so id. Brut. 8, 34: apto cadens oratio, Quint. 9, 4, 32: numerus opportune cadens, id. 9, 4, 27: ultima syllaba in gravem vel duas graves cadit semper, id. 12, 10, 33 Spald.: similiter cadentia = όμοιόπτωτα, the ending of words with the same cases or verbal forms, diff. from similiter desinentia = όμοιοτέλευτα, similar endings of any kind, Cic. de Or. 3, 54, 206; id. Or. 34, 135; Auct. Her. 4, 20, 28; Quint. 9, 4, 42; cf. id. 9, 4, 18; 9, 3, 78; 9, 3, 79; 1, 7, 23; Aquil. Rom. Figur. §§ 25 and 26.

Origins

Inherited from Proto-Italic *kadō, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱádeti, from *ḱad- (“to fall”) + *-eti. Compare Old Armenian ցածնում (cʻacnum), Old Irish cassar (“hail, lightning”), Welsh cesair (“hail”), Breton kazerc'h, and Cornish keser.

Italo-Romance
  • Italiancàdere
  • Italiancadere
  • Siciliancàdiri
  • Dalmatiancadar
  • Neapolitancadere
Eastern Romance
  • Romaniancădea
  • Romaniancădere
  • Aromaniancad
  • Aromaniancãdeari
Ibero-Romance
  • Portuguesecairfrom Old Galician-Portuguese caer
  • Spanishcaerfrom Old Spanish caer
  • Aragonesecayer
  • Asturiancayer
  • Extremadurancael
  • Leonesecayere
  • Mirandesecaer
  • Mirandesecaier
  • Galiciancaerfrom Old Galician-Portuguese caer
  • Galiciancairfrom Old Galician-Portuguese caer
Gallo-Romance
  • Catalancaure
  • Franco-Provençalchairfrom Franco-Provençal cheir
  • Franco-Provençalchêrefrom Franco-Provençal cheir
  • Franco-Provençalchesirfrom Franco-Provençal cheir
  • Franco-Provençalchèdrefrom Franco-Provençal cheir
  • Franco-Provençalchègrefrom Franco-Provençal cheir
  • Gasconcàder
  • Gasconcàger
  • Gasconcair
  • Gasconcàiger
North Italian
  • Istriotcài
  • Liguriancàze
  • Lombardcadre
  • Piedmontesecàze
  • Piedmontesecài
  • Piedmontesechéi
  • Venetancaçer
  • Friuliancjadê
  • Romagnolcadér
  • Venetancaièr
Vulgar Latin
  • unknown*cadentia
  • unknown*cāsicāre
  • unknown*excadĕre
  • unknown*excadēre

In English words that came into English from cadō

  • chance*cadentia
  • casecāsus
  • cheat*excadēre
  • accidentaccidēns
  • incidentincidens
  • decay*dēcadere
  • cascade*cāsicāre
  • casualtycasualitas
  • occasionoccāsiō
  • cadence*cadentia
  • coincidecoincido
  • decadentdēcadēns
  • incidenceincidentia
  • escheat*excadēre
  • stillicidestillicidium
  • cadentcadens
  • caducouscadūcus
  • caducicorncaducus
  • stillicidiumstillicidium
  • caducibranchiatecaducus

Quick answers

What does cadō mean in Latin?
cadō, a verb, means “to fall, to fall out; to fall in battle, die, be slain, fall so as to be unable to rise; to be frustrated, fail, to be or remain fruitless”.
What are the principal parts of cadō?
cadō, cadere, cecidī, cāsum (third conjugation, impersonal in the passive).
How do you pronounce cadō?
In classical Latin, [ˈka.doː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈkaː.do].
Which English words come from cadō?
English words that go back to Latin cadō include chance, case, cheat, cascade, escheat and stillicide.