I. To proclaim, make known. So perh. only in the foll. passage: pugnam, Lucil. ap. Non. 287, 30.—Far more freq.,
II. Relig. t. t., to dedicate, consecrate, devote any thing to a deity or to a deified person (for syn. cf.: dedico, consecro, inauguro).
A. Prop.: et me dicabo atque animam devotabo hostibus, Att. ap. Non. 98, 12: “donum tibi (sc. Jovi) dicatum atque promissum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 72; cf.: “ara condita atque dicata,” Liv. 1, 7 (for which aram condidit dedicavitque, id. 28, 46 fin.); so, “aram,” id. 1, 7; 1, 20: “capitolium, templum Jovis O. M.,” id. 22, 38 fin.: “templa,” Ov. F. 1, 610: “delubrum ex manubiis,” Plin. 7, 26, 27, § 97: “lychnuchum Apollini,” id. 34, 3, 8, § 14: “statuas Olympiae,” id. 34, 4, 9, § 16: “vehiculum,” Tac. G. 40: “carmen Veneri,” Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 178; cf. Suet. Ner. 10 fin. et saep.: “cygni Apollini dicati,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 73.—
2. With a personal object, to consecrate, to deify (cf. dedico, no. II. A. b.): “Janus geminus a Numa dicatus,” Plin. 34, 7, 16, § 34: “inter numina dicatus Augustus,” Tac. A. 1, 59.—
B. Transf., beyond the relig. sphere.
1. To give up, set apart, appropriate a thing to any one: recita; “aurium operam tibi dico,” Plaut. Bacch. 4, 9, 72; so, “operam,” id. Ps. 1, 5, 147; Ter. Ph. 1, 2, 12: “hunc totum diem tibi,” Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 7: “tuum studium meae laudi,” id. Fam. 2, 6, 4: “genus (orationis) epidicticum gymnasiis et palaestrae,” id. Or. 13, 42: “librum Maecenati,” Plin. 19, 10, 57, § 177; cf.: “librum laudibus ptisanae,” id. 18, 7, 15, § 75 al.: “(Deïopeam) conubio jungam stabili propriamque dicabo,” Verg. A. 1, 73; cf. the same verse, ib. 4, 126: “se Crasso,” Cic. de Or. 3, 3, 11; cf.: se Remis in clientelam, * Caes. B. G. 6, 12, 7: “se alii civitati,” to become a free denizen of it, Cic. Balb. 11, 28; “for which: se in aliam civitatem,” id. ib. 12 fin.—*
2. (I. q. dedico, no. II. A.) To consecrate a thing by using it for the first time: “nova signa novamque aquilam,” Tac. H. 5, 16.— Hence, dĭcātus , a, um, P. a. (acc. to no. II.), devoted, consecrated, dedicated: “loca Christo dedicatissima, August. Civ. Dei, 3, 31: CONSTANTINO AETERNO AVGVSTO ARRIVS DIOTIMVS ... N. M. Q. (i. e. numini majestatique) EIVS DICATISSIMVS,” Inscr. Orell. 1083.