I.act., to strive after a thing, to try to get, to grasp after (syn.: adfecto, nitor in aliquid).
I. Lit.
A. 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.—
B. 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.—
C. 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.—
II. 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,
A. 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.—
B. 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.