praecipio

Latin > English (Lewis & Short)

prae-cĭpĭo: cēpi, ceptum, 3, v. a. capio,
I to take or seize beforehand, to get or receive in advance (class., esp. in the trop. sense; syn.: anticipo, praeoccupo).
I Lit.
   A In gen., Lucr. 6, 1050: nisi aquam praecepimus ante, id. 6, 804: a publicanis pecuniam insequentis anni mutuam praeceperat, Caes. B. C. 3, 31: aliquantum viae, to get the start somewhat, Liv. 36, 19: longius spatium fugā, id. 22, 41 fin.: iter, id. 3, 46: Piraeeum quinqueremibus, to preoccupy, id. 32, 16, 5: mons a Lusitanis praeceptus, Sall. Fragm. ap. Gell. 10, 26, 3: si lac praeceperit aestus, i. e. have previously dried up, Verg. E. 3, 98.—
   B In partic., in jurid. lang, to receive (esp. an inheritance or bequest) in advance, Plin. Ep. 5, 7, 4: si heres centum praecipere jussus sit, Dig. 30, 122; so ib. 36, 1, 63: quantitatem dotis, ib. 17, 2, 81: dotem, ib. 10, 2, 46: per praeceptionem hoc modo legamus: Lucius Titius hominem Stichum praecipito, Gai. Inst. 2, 216. —
II Trop.
   A In gen., to take or obtain in advance, to anticipate: aliquantum ad fugam temporis Syphax et Hasdrubal praeceperunt, gained some advantage in time, Liv. 30, 8 fin.: tempus, id. 1, 7: celeres neu praecipe Parcas, do not hasten in advance of, do not anticipate, Stat. Th. 8, 328; so, veneno fata praecepit, Flor. 3, 9, 4: praecipio gaudia suppliciorum vestrorum, I rejoice in advance, Anton. ap. Cic. Phil. 13, 20, 45; Hirt. B. G. 8, 51; cf. Liv. 45, 1, 1: jam animo victoriam praecipiebant, figured to themselves beforehand, Caes. B. C. 3, 87 fin.; Liv. 10, 26: spe jam praecipit hostem, Verg. A. 11, 491: praecipere cogitatione futura, to conjecture or imagine beforehand, Cic. Off. 1, 23, 81: omnia, Verg. A. 6, 105; cf.: haec usu ventura opinione praeceperat, had already suspected, Caes. B. G. 7, 9: sed alterum mihi est certius, nec praecipiam tamen, Cic. Att. 10, 1, 2.—
   B In partic., to give rules or precepts to any one, to advise, admonish, warn, inform, instruct, teach; to enjoin, direct, bid, order, etc. (syn.: mando, impero, doceo): vilici officia, quae dominus praecepit, Cato, R. R. 142: Philocomasio id praecipiendum est, ut sciat, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 92: quoi numquam unam rem me licet semel praecipere, id. As. 2, 4, 15: quae ego tibi praecipio, ea facito, id. Trin. 2, 2, 17: docui, monui, bene praecepi semper quae potui omnia, Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 6: quicquid praecipies, esto brevis, Hor. A. P. 335: de eloquentiā, Cic. de Or. 2, 11, 48: de agriculturā, Plin. 18, 24, 56, § 201: alicui aliquid praecipere, Cic. Mur. 2, 4: glossemata nobis, Asin. Gall. ap. Suet. Gram. 22: numerumque modumque carinis Praecipiant, Verg. A. 11, 329: cantus lugubres, Hor. C. 1, 24, 2: artem nandi, Ov. Tr. 2, 486: humanitatem, Plin. Ep. 1, 10, 2, etc.: mitem animum et mores modicis erroribus aequos Praecipit, enjoins, recommends, Juv. 14, 16.—With inf.: justitia praecipit, parcere omnibus, Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21; so, paeoniam praecipiunt eruere noctu, Plin. 25, 4, 10, § 29: codicillos aperiri testator praecepit, Dig. 31, 1, 89.—With ut: illud potius praecipiendum fuit, ut, etc., Cic. Lael. 16, 60: recte etiam praecipi potest in amicitiis, ne, etc., id. ib. 20, 75: consulentibus Pythia praecepit, ut, etc., Nep. Milt. 1, 3.—With subj. alone: praecipit atque interdicit, omnes unum peterent Indutiomarum, Caes. B. G. 5, 58: his praecepit, omnes mortales pecuniā aggrediantur, Sall. J. 28, 1.—With acc. and inf.: etiam scelere convictos nonnisi ad opus damnari praeceperat, Suet. Ner. 31: D. Claudius edicto praecepit, decreed, commanded, Dig. 48, 10, 15. —As subst.: praecĭpĭens, entis, m., a teacher, Cic. Rep. 1, 46, 70: jam prope consummata fuerit praecipientis opera, Quint. 2, 6, 6: in numero praecipientium, id. 2, 3, 5.—Hence, praeceptum, i, n. (acc. to II. B.), a maxim, rule, precept; an order, direction, command, bidding; an injunction, etc. (class.): quo praecepto ab iis diligentissime observato, Caes. B. G. 5, 35: sine praecepto ullius suā sponte struebatur acies, Liv. 9, 31: transvectae praecepto ducis alae, Tac. Agr. 37: hoc praeceptum patet latius, Cic. Tusc. 2, 24, 58; cf.: hoc praeceptum officii diligenter tenendum est, id. Off. 2, 14, 51.—In <number opt="n">plur.</number>: tuis monitis praeceptisque, Cic. Fam. 5, 13, 3: in quam (partem) praecepta nobis danda sunt, id. Inv. 2, 17, 53; 2, 34, 105: abundare praeceptis philosophiae, id. Off. 1, 1, 1: dare praecepta dicendi, id. Brut. 76, 273; cf. studiosis dicendi praecepta tradere, id. Or. 41, 141: deūm praecepta secuti, orders, commands, Verg. G. 4, 448: sine vi non ulla dabit (Nereus) praecepta, id. ib. 4, 398.