I.a warding off or averting by prayer; a deprecating, deprecation.
I. Prop.
A. In gen.: periculi. Cic. Rab. perd. 9, 26: venia deprecationis, Quint. prooem. § 2.—
b. Esp., in relig. lang., an imprecation: “defigi diris deprecationibus,” Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 19: “deorum,” an invoking of the gods to send punishment on the perjurer, Cic. Rosc. Com. 16, 46; Petr. 18, 1.—More freq.,
II. Transf., a prayer for pardon, deprecation: “ejus facti,” Cic. Part. Or. 37 fin.; cf. “inertiae,” Hirt. B. G. 8 prooem. § 1; Plaut. Capt. 3, 3, 7: “assidua,” Vulg. Jacob. 5, 16.—So in rhetoric, like the Gr. προπαραίτησις or συγγνώμη, Cic. Inv. 2, 34; id. de Or. 3, 53 fin.; Auct. Her. 1, 14; Quint. 9, 1, 32 al.