I.a.
I. Neutr.
A. To breathe or blow upon; constr. with ad, the dat., or absol.: “ad quae (granaria) nulla aura umida ex propinquis locis adspiret,” Varr. R. R. 1, 57: “ut ne ad eum frigus adspiret,” Cels. 2, 17: “pulmones se contrahunt adspirantes,” exhaling, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 136: “Lenius aspirans aură,” Cat. 68, 64: “amaracus illum Floribus et dulci adspirans complectitur umbrā,” Verg. A. 1, 694: adspirant aurae in noctem, rise at or toward night, id. ib. 7, 8: “si minuma adspirat aura,” Plin. 13, 22, 43, § 124: “tibia adspirat choro,” accompanies, Hor. A. P. 204 al.—
2. Trop.: alicui, to be favorable to, to favor, assist (the figure taken from a fair breeze): “aspira mihi,” Tib. 2, 1, 35: “quibus aspirabat Amor,” id. 2, 3, 71: “adspirat primo fortuna labori,” Verg. A. 2, 385: “adspirate canenti,” id. ib. 9, 525: “di, coeptis adspirate meis,” Ov. M. 1, 3.—Also absol.: magno se praedicat auxilio fuisse, quia paululum in rebus difficillimis aspiravit, Auct. ad Her. 4, 34 (cf. afflo).—
B. To aspire to a person or thing, to desire to reach or obtain, i. e. to approach, come near (esp. with the access. idea of striving to attain to); constr. with ad, in with acc., the dat., a local adv., or absol. (class.; freq. in Cic.): qui prope ad ostium adspiraverint, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 4, 142: “quid enim quisquam ad meam pecuniam me invito aspirat? quid accedit?” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 54 fin.; so id. Div. in Caecil. 5 fin.: “tu ad eum Ciceronem numquam aspirasti,” id. Pis. 5 fin.; so id. Fam. 7, 10: “omnes aditus tuos interclusi, ut ad me adspirare non posses,” id. Tusc. 5, 9, 27: “aspirare in curiam,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 31: “in campum,” id. Sull. 18, 52: “ne non modo intrare, verum etiam adspicere aut aspirare possim,” id. Caecin. 14; Col. 8, 14, 9: “nec equis adspirat Achillis,” Verg. A. 12, 352: “sed non incendia Colchis adspirare sinit,” Val. Fl. 7, 584.— Trop.: “sed haec ad eam laudem, quam volumus, aspirare non possunt,” arrive at, attain to, Cic. Or. 41, 140: “bellicā laude aspirare ad Africanum nemo potest,” id. Brut. 21, 84: “haec etiam in equuleum coniciuntur, quo vita non adspirat beata,” id. Tusc. 5, 5, 13; Gell. 14, 3, 10.—
C. In gram., to give the h sound, to aspirate (cf. aspiratio, II. B.): “consonantibus,” Quint. 1, 5, 20: “Graeci aspirare solent,” id. 1, 4, 14; Nigid. ap. Gell. 13, 6, 3.—
II. Act.
A. To breathe or blow upon, to infuse, instil; lit. and trop. (poet. or in post-Aug. prose): “Juno ventos adspirat eunti,” sends favoring winds, Verg. A. 5, 607: “adspiravit auram quandam salutis fortuna,” Amm. 19, 6: “dictis divinum amorem,” Verg. A. 8, 373: “novam pectoribus fidem,” Claud. Fesc. 14, 16: “nobis tantum ingenii aspiret,” Quint. 4 prooem. § 4.— *
B. To breathe or blow upon; trop. of the sea, to wash: “insula adspiratur freto Gallico,” is washed, Sol. 22.
