I.to look about with attention, precaution, desire, etc.; to cast a look around, to search around; and with acc., to look about one's self (attentively, anxiously, etc.) after something, to look all around upon something (class.)
I. Prop.
(α).
Absol.: “dum circumspecto,” Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 45 (al.: “me circumspecto): quanto se opere custodiant bestiae, ut in pastu circumspectent,” Cic. N. D. 2, 49, 126: “primum circumspectans tergiversari,” Liv. 4, 14, 4; Plin. 8, 4, 5, § 9: “circumspectans huc et illuc,” Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62.—
(β).
With acc.: te hercle ego circumspectabam, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 8: “alia,” Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 54; 2, 2, 60: “inter se,” Tac. H. 2, 29: “ora principum,” Liv. 26, 18, 6: “quousque me circumspectabitis?” id. 6, 18, 7; cf. Tac. H. 4, 8: “omnia,” to look about anxiously, Cic. Pis. 41, 99; Sall. J. 72, 2; cf.: “mare et silvas, ignota omnia circumspectantes,” Tac. Agr. 32 Ritter (Halm: circum spectantes).—Pass.: “muta atque inanima, tectum et parietes circumspectabantur,” Tac. A. 4, 69 fin.—
(γ).
With a rel.-clause: “Nabis quanam ipse evaderet circumspectabat,” Liv. 34, 39, 8; cf. with foll. si, id. 25, 36, 5: “si quam reperiat,” Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62.—
(δ).
With acc. and ut with subj.: “dum alius alium, ut proelium ineant, circumspectant,” Liv. 2, 10, 9.—（ε) Reflex. (only in Plaut.; cf. “circumspicio, I. A.): loca contemplat, circumspectat sese, atque aedis noscitat,” Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 21; cf. id. Bacch. 2, 3, 45 supra.—
II. Trop.: “dubitans, circumspectans, haesitans, tanquam rate in mari immenso nostra vehitur oratio,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 73: “circumspectantes defectionis tempus,” watching, waiting, on the look-out for, Liv. 21, 39, 5: “initium erumpendi,” Tac. H. 1, 55: “Vespasianus bellum armaque et procul vel juxta sitas vires circumspectabat,” carefully weighed, considered, id. ib. 2, 74; so, “fugam et fallendi artes,” id. ib. 3, 73: “medicamina quasso imperio,” Sil. 15, 7: “omnes argumentorum locos,” Quint. 12, 8, 14.
