I.to seek after, search for, inquire into any thing (cf. anquirere).
I. Lit.: “vera illa honestas, quam natura maxime inquirit,” Cic. Tusc. 3, 2, 3: “omnia ordine,” Liv. 22, 7, 11: “sedes,” Just. 3, 4: “inquire in ea quae memoriae sunt prodita,” Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 4: “de opere,” Quint. 3, 11, 21: “verborum originem,” id. 1, 6, 28: “aliquibus inquirenda quaedam mandare,” id. 10, 1, 128: “vitia (alicujus),” Hor. S. 1, 3, 28: “quid sit furere,” id. ib. 2, 3, 41.—
II. Trop.
A. Jurid., to search for grounds of accusation against one: “cum ego diem inquirendi in Siciliam perexiguam postulavissem,” Cic. Verr. 1, 2, 6: “in competitores,” id. Mur. 21: “de rebus capitalibus,” Curt. 6, 8, 17: “inquisitum missi de iis, quorum, etc.,” Liv. 40, 20, 3.—
B. To search, pry, examine, or inquire into any thing: “si quis habet causam celebritatis, in eum quid agat inquiritur, etc.,” Cic. de Off. 2, 13, 44: “nimium inquirens in se, atque ipse sese observans,” Cic. Brut. 82, 283: “filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos,” to inquire how long his father will live, Ov. M. 1, 148: “totum in orbem,” id. ib. 12, 63: “obstitit oceanus in se simul et in Herculem inquiri,” Tac. G. 34.— Hence, inquīsītus , a, um, P. a., searched into or for: “res,” Liv. 10, 40, 10: “corpus magna cum cura inquisitum,” searched for, id. 22, 7, 5: “istanc rem inquisitam certumst non amittere,” not to neglect inquiry, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 217.— Hence, adv.: inquīsītē , with investigation, thoroughly, Gell. 1, 3, 9; comp., id. 1, 3, 21.