I.to take or lay hold of, to take to one's self, to take in, take, receive, etc. (class. in prose and poetry).
I. Prop.
A. In gen.: “nuces si fregeris, vix sesquimodio concipere possis,” Varr. R. R. 1, 7, 3: “truleum latius, quo concipiat aquam,” id. L. L. 5, § 118 Müll.; cf. Lucr. 6, 503; and: “concipit Iris aquas,” draws up, Ov. M. 1, 271: “madefacta terra caducas Concepit lacrimas, id. ib 6, 397: imbres limumque,” Col. Arb. 10, 3.—Of water, to take up, draw off, in a pipe, etc.: “Alsietinam aquam,” Front. Aquaed. 11; 5 sqq.—Pass., to be collected or held, to gather: “pars (animae) concipitur cordis parte quādam,” Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138: “ut quisque (umor) ibi conceptus fuerit, quam celerrime dilabatur,” Col. 1, 6, 5.—Hence, con-cepta , ōrum, n. subst., measures of fluids, capacity of a reservoir, etc.: “amplius quam in conceptis commentariorum,” i. e. the measures described in the registers, Front. Aquaed. 67; 73.—Of the approach of death: “cum jam praecordiis conceptam mortem contineret,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 40, 96: “ventum veste,” Quint. 11, 3, 119; cf.: “plurimum ventorum,” Plin. 16, 31, 57, § 131; and: “magnam vim venti,” Curt. 4, 3, 2: “auram,” id. 4, 3, 16; cf. Ov. M. 12, 569: “aëra,” id. ib. 1, 337: “ignem,” Lucr. 6, 308; so Cic. de Or. 2, 45, 190; Liv. 21, 8, 12; 37, 11, 13; Ov. M. 15, 348.—Of lime slaked: “ubi terrenā silices fornace soluti concipiunt ignem liquidarum aspergine aquarum,” Ov. M. 7, 108 al.; cf.: “lapidibus igne concepto,” struck, Vulg. 2 Macc. 10, 3: “flammam,” Caes. B. C. 2, 14: “flammas,” Ov. M. 1, 255; cf. “of the flame of love: flammam pectore,” Cat. 64, 92: “ignem,” Ov. M. 9, 520; 10, 582: “validos ignes,” id. ib. 7, 9: “medicamentum venis,” Curt. 3, 6, 11: “noxium virus,” Plin. 21, 13, 44, § 74: “morbum,” Col. 7, 5, 14: “in eā parte nivem concipi,” is formed, Sen. Q. N. 4, 2, 1. —Of disease: “is morbus aestate plerumque concipitur,” Col. 7, 5, 14: “si ex calore et aestu concepta pestis invasit,” id. 7, 5, 2.—
B. In partic.
1. To take or receive (animal or vegetable) fecundation, to conceive, become pregnant.
(α).
Absol.: “more ferarum putantur Concipere uxores,” Lucr. 4, 1266; Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 17: “cum concepit mula,” Cic. Div. 2, 22, 50: “ex illo concipit ales,” Ov. M. 10, 328 et saep.: “(arbores) concipiunt variis diebus et pro suā quaeque naturā,” Plin. 16, 25, 39, § 94.—
(β).
With acc.: “ut id, quod conceperat, servaret,” Cic. Clu. 12, 33: “Persea, quem pluvio Danaë conceperat auro,” Ov. M. 4, 611: “aliquem ex aliquo,” Cic. Clu. 11, 31; Suet. Aug. 17; id. Claud. 27: “ex adulterio,” id. Tib. 62: “de aliquo,” Ov. M. 3, 214: “alicujus semine,” id. ib. 10, 328: “ova (pisces),” Plin. 9, 51, 75, § 165.—Poet.: “concepta crimina portat, i. e. fetum per crimen conceptum,” Ov. M. 10, 470 (cf. id. ib. 3, 268): “omnia, quae terra concipiat semina,” Cic. N. D. 2, 10, 26: “frumenta quaedam in tertio genu spicam incipiunt concipere,” Plin. 18, 7, 10, § 56.—Subst.: conceptum , i, n., the fetus: “ne praegnanti medicamentum, quo conceptum excutitur, detur,” Scrib. Ep. ad Callist. p. 3: “coacta conceptum a se abigere,” Suet. Dom. 22.—*
b. In Ovid, meton., of a woman, to unite herself in marriage, to marry, wed: “Dea undae, Concipe. Mater eris juvenis, etc.,” Ov. M. 11, 222.—
2. Concipere furtum, in jurid. Lat., to find out or discover stolen property, Just. Inst. 4, 1, § 4; cf.: penes quem res concepta et inventa est, Paul. Sent. 2, 31, 5; Gell. 11, 18, 9 sq.; Gai Inst. 3, 186.—
II. Trop.
A. To take or seize something by the sense of sight, to see, perceive (cf. comprehendo, II. A.): “haec tanta oculis bona concipio,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 65.—Far more freq.,
B. To perceive in mind.
1. In gen., to comprehend intellectually, to take in, imagine, conceive, think: “agedum, inaugura fierine possit, quod nunc ego mente concipio,” Liv. 1, 36, 3; so, “aliquid animo,” id. 9, 18, 8; cf.: “imaginem quandam concipere animo perfecti oratoris,” Quint. 1, 10, 4; cf. id. 2, 20, 4; 9, 1, 19 al.: “quid mirum si in auspiciis imbecilli animi superstitiosa ista concipiant?” Cic. Div. 2, 39, 81: “quantalibet magnitudo hominis concipiatur animo,” Liv. 9, 18, 8 Drak. ad loc.: “de aliquo summa concipere,” Quint. 6, prooem. § 2: “ onus operis opinione prima concipere,” id. 12, prooem. § 1: protinus concepit Italiam et arma virumque, conceived the plan of the Æneid, Mart. 8, 56, 19.—
2. In partic., to understand, comprehend, perceive: “quoniam principia rerum omnium animo ac mente conceperit,” Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 59: “quae neque concipi animo nisi ab iis qui videre, neque, etc.,” Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 124: “fragor, qui concipi humanā mente non potest,” id. 33, 4, 21, § 73: “concipere animo potes, quam simus fatigati,” Plin. Ep. 3, 9, 24.—With acc. and inf.: “quod ita juratum est, ut mens conciperet fleri oportere, id servandum est,” Cic. Off. 3, 29, 107: “forsitan et lucos illic concipias animo esse,” Ov. M. 2, 77: “concepit, eos homines posse jure mulceri,” Vell. 2, 117, 3; Cels. 7 praef. fin.—
C. To receive in one's self, adopt, harbor any disposition of mind, emotion, passion, evil design, etc., to give place to, foster, to take in, receive; to commit (the figure derived from the absorbing of liquids; “hence): quod non solum vitia concipiunt ipsi, sed ea infundunt in civitatem,” Cic. Leg. 3, 14, 32: “inimicitiae et aedilitate et praeturā conceptae,” Caes. B. C. 3, 16; so, “mente vaticinos furores,” Ov. M. 2, 640: “animo ingentes iras,” id. ib. 1, 166: “spem,” id. ib. 6, 554; cf.: “spemque metumque,” id. F. 1, 485: “aliquid spe,” Liv. 33, 33, 8: “amorem,” Ov. M. 10, 249: “pectore tantum robur,” Verg. A. 11, 368: “auribus tantam cupiditatem,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 45, § 101 al.: “re publicā violandā fraudis inexpiabiles concipere,” id. Tusc. 1, 30, 72: “malum aut scelus,” id. Cat. 2, 4, 7: “scelus in sese,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 4, § 9: “flagitium cum aliquo,” id. Sull. 5, 16.—
D. To draw up, comprise, express something in words, to compose (cf. comprehendo, II. C.): “quod ex animi tui sententiā juraris, sicut verbis concipiatur more nostro,” Cic. Off. 3, 29, 108: “vadimonium,” id. Q. Fr. 2, 13 (15), 3: “jusjurandum,” Liv. 1, 32, 8; Tac. H. 4, 41; cf.: “jurisjurandi verba,” id. ib. 4, 31; “and verba,” Liv. 7, 5, 5: “edictum,” Dig. 13, 6, 1: “libellos,” ib. 48, 19, 9: “stipulationem,” ib. 41, 1, 38: “obligationem in futurum,” ib. 5, 1, 35: “actionem in bonum et aequum,” ib. 4, 5, 8: “foedus,” Verg. A. 12, 13 (id est conceptis verbis: “concepta autem verba dicuntur jurandi formula, quam nobis transgredi non licet, Serv.): audet tamen Antias Valerius concipere summas (of the slain, etc.),” to report definitely, Liv. 3, 5, 12.—T. t., of the lang. of religion, to make something (as a festival, auspices, war, etc.) known, to promulgate, declare in a set form of words, to designate formally: “ubi viae competunt tum in competis sacrificatur: quotannis is dies (sc. Compitalia) concipitur,” Varr. L. L. 6, § 25 Müll.: “dum vota sacerdos Concipit,” Ov. M. 7, 594: “sic verba concipito,” repeat the following prayer, Cato, R. R. 139, 1; 141, 4: “Latinas sacrumque in Albano monte non rite concepisse (magistratus),” Liv. 5, 17, 2 (cf. conceptivus): “auspicia,” id. 22, 1, 7: “locus quibusdam conceptis verbis finitus, etc.,” Varr. L. L. 7, § 8 Müll.: “ut justum conciperetur bellum,” id. ib. 5, § “86 ib.—So of a formal repetition of set words after another person: senatus incohantibus primoribus jus jurandum concepit,” Tac. H. 4, 41: “vetus miles dixit sacramentum ... et cum cetera juris jurandi verba conciperent, etc.,” id. ib. 4, 31: verba jurationis concipit, with acc. and inf., he takes the oath, that, etc., Macr. S. 1, 6, 30.—Hence, conceptus , a, um, P. a., formal, in set form: “verbis conceptissimis jurare,” Petr. 113, 13.—Hence, absol.: mente concepta, things apprehended by the mind, perceptions: consuetudo jam tenuit, ut mente concepta sensus vocaremus, Quint. 8, 5, 2; cf. id. 5, 10, 4.
