verb transitive intransitive

ap-pĕto

(, Lachm., Baiter, Weissenb., Halm; , , Kayser), īvi or , (class.; in poetry rare)

to strive after; to try to get; to grasp after

act., to strive after a thing, to try to get, to grasp after (syn.: adfecto, nitor in aliquid).

to seize upon the hand with kisses; in order to kiss it; to go ••

In gen.: solem manibus adpetere, Cic. Div. 1, 23, 46; so id. ib. 2, 41: placentam, Plin. 7, 53, 54, § 183; so, adpetere manum osculis, to seize upon the hand with kisses, i. e. in order to kiss it, Plin. 11, 45, 103, § 250; hence, appeti, of old men whose hands one seizes and kisses: haec enim ipsa sunt honorabilia, salutari, adpeti, decedi, adsurgi, etc., Cic. Sen. 18, 63; hence (like accedere), to go or come somewhere, to approach, arrive at: urbem, Suet. Caes. 42.— Of things without life: mare terram adpetens, pressing or rushing on, Cic. N. D. 2, 39, 100: crescebat interim urbs, munitionibus alia atque alia adpetendo loca, by continually advancing farther, Liv. 1, 8: Thule, quam hactenus nix et hiems adpetebat, only snow and frost had approached, Tac. Agr. 10.—

to attack; to fall; seize upon figuratively ••

Esp., to attack, to fall or seize upon, assault, assail (syn.: peto, adgredior, adorior, invado): lapidibus appetere, Cic. Dom. 5, 13: ferro atque insidiis, id. Rosc. Am. 11, 30; id. Planc. 29 fin.: umerum gladio, Caes. B. C. 2, 35; Liv. 7, 26: aquila aquaticas aves adpetit, Plin. 10, 3, 3, § 9: morsu, Tac. H. 4, 42; Dig. 38, 2, 14; 48, 5, 27 al.—Trop.: ignominiis omnibus appetitis, Cic. Quint. 31: me amor appetit, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 8: (uxor) falsā suspitione appetitur, Vulg. Num. 5, 14.—

to strive after earnestly; to desire eagerly; to long for figuratively •••

Trop., to strive after earnestly, to desire eagerly, to long for (syn.: peto, cupio, expeto; opp. declino, aspernor; v. infra): aliut in dies magis adpetitur, * Lucr. 5, 1279: ut bona naturā adpetimus, sic a malis naturā declinamus, Cic. Tusc. 4, 6, 13; cf. id. N. D. 3, 13, 33: idem non modo non recusem, sed appetam etiam atque deposcam, id. Phil. 3, 14: inimicitias potentium appetere, id. Mil. 36; so id. Rosc. Am. 18; Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 2; id. Agr. 2, 23: alterum esse adpetendum, alterum aspernandum, id. Fin. 1, 9, 31 al.: amicitiam, Caes. B. G. 1, 40: adulescentium familiaritates, Sall. C. 14, 5: hereditates, Suet. Aug. 60: divitias, Vulg. Sap. 8, 5; ib. 1 Tim. 6, 10: nihil ornamentorum, Suet. Vesp. 12 al.: alienum, Phaedr. 1, 4, 1: nec abnuendum imperium nec adpetendum, Sen. Thyest. 472 et saep.—Also of food, to have an appetite for (cf. appetitio, II. B.): appetitur vilis oliva, Mart. 9, 27: pisciculos minutos, caseum, Suet. Aug. 76.—Constr. with inf. as object: ut adpetat animus agere semper aliquid, Cic. Fin. 5, 20, 55; Stat. Th. 1, 234; Pall. 10, 13, 2.—

Neutr; to draw on; nigh ••

Neutr., to draw on or nigh, to approach, be at hand (only of time and things having relation to it; syn.: venio, advenio, adpropinquo, adsum): cum appetit meridies, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 116: dies adpetebat, Caes. B. G. 6, 35: nox jam adpetebat, Liv. 8, 38; so id. 5, 44; 10, 42: tempus anni, id. 34, 13; so id. 22, 1; 29, 10 al.: lux, Tac. A. 4, 51 al.: partitudo cui appetit, Plaut. Aul. 1, 1, 36: consularia comitia adpetebant, Liv. 41, 28: adpetit finis, Sen. Cons. ad Marc. 23 fin.— Hence, appĕtens (adp-), entis, P. a. (acc. to II.); pr. striving passionately after something; hence,

desirous of; eager for; ••

In gen., desirous of, eager for; constr. with gen.: appetens gloriae atque avidus laudis, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 3: nihil est adpetentius similium sui, id. Lael. 14, 50: studiosissimi adpetentissimique honestatis, id. Tusc. 2, 24, 58; so Sall. C. 5, 4; id. J. 7, 1; Plin. 31, 6, 36, § 69: turbidi et negotiorum adpetentes, Tac. A. 14, 57; id. H. 1, 49; 3, 39; 4, 6; 4, 83; Gell. 16, 3.—

eager for money; eagerly; in a grasping spirit •

Esp., eager for money (cf. abundans), avaricious: homo non cupidus neque appetens, Cic. Agr. 2, 8: grati animi, non appetentis, non avidi signa, id. de Or. 2, 43, 182.—Adv.: appĕtenter (adp-), eagerly, in a grasping spirit or manner: ne cupide quid agerent, ne adpetenter, Cic. Off. 1, 10, 33; App. M. 7, p. 192, 40 Elm.—Comp. and sup. not used.

Perseus ID: n3152 Key: appeto1