dispicio
Latin > English (Lewis & Short)
di-spĭcĭo: spexi, spectum, 3, v. n. and
I a., to see through all parts (cf. Lachm. ad Lucr. vol. 2, p. 236 and 237), to see with an effort, to open wide the eyes in order to see, to look through, to see; to glance, to gaze; and actively, to descry, discern, perceive (class.; esp. freq. in Cic. Lachm. l. l. prefers dispicere in many passages where the best editions have despicere, e. g. Verg. A. 1, 224; id. G. 2, 187; Ov. M. 2, 178; 3, 44; 7, 223; id. F. 4, 569; Col. 1, 6, 23; cf. Conington ad Verg. A. 1, 224; Munroad Lucr. 4, 418 N. cr.).
I Lit.
(a) Neutr.: isti autem tantis effusis tenebris ne scintillam quidem ullam ad dispiciendum reliquerunt, Cic. Ac. 2, 19, 61; cf.: tanta oborta caligo est ut dispicere non posset, Suet. Ner. 19; Cic. Tusc. 1, 19 fin.: catuli, qui jam dispecturi sunt, caeci aeque et hi, qui modo nati, id. Fin. 4, 23 fin.: ut primum dispexit, id. ib. 2, 30, 97: ad terram aspice et dispice, Oculis investigans astute augura, Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 25.—
(b) Act.: nubila, Lucr. 4, 418 Lachm.: longe cunctas in partis, id. 6, 648: dispecta est et Thule, Tac. Agr. 10: ut nequit ullam dispicere oculus rem, Lucr. 3, 564.—
B Transf., to investigate, make an examination: dispicientibus consistorianis et militaribus, Amm. 15, 5, 12.—
II Trop., to perceive mentally, discern, discover (commonly as act.): si imbecilli animi verum dispicere non possint, Cic. Div. 2, 39; cf. Liv. 44, 6 fin.: mentem principis, Tac. A. 3, 22: merita, id. ib. 13, 27: in ea re Pompeius quid velit, non dispicio, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 2 fin.: sine jam aliquid dispiciam, to find out, Ter. And. 3, 5, 16; cf. Cic. Att. 2, 20.—
B Meton. (mostly in the imperat.), to consider, think, reflect upon: nunc velim dispicias res Romanas, Cic. Att. 6, 8: discerne et dispice insidiatorem et petitum insidiis, Liv. 40, 10; Just. Inst. 1, 8 pr.: dispice, an tu, etc., Plin. Ep. 1, 18, 5: dispice, ne sit, etc., id. ib. 2, 10, 5: prius dispiciamus de his, quae, etc., Gai. Inst. 1, § 143; cf. Dig. 14, 1, 1; and absol.: virtus est, ubi occasio admonet, dispicere, Plaut. Pers. 2, 3, 15.
