I.to lead or draw, conduct (very freq. in Plaut.; elsewh. perh. only in Ter., Sall., and once in Tac.; not in Cic., Caes., or the Aug. authors).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “aliquem,” Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 158: “restim ductans,” Ter. Ad. 4, 7, 34 Ruhnk.: “exercitum per saltuosa loca,” Sall. J. 38, 1; so, “exercitum,” id. C. 11, 5; 17, 7; id. J. 70, 2; * Tac. H. 2, 100; cf.: “equites in exercitu,” Sall. C. 19, 3; Amm. 14, 10, 11 (acc. to Quint. 8, 3, 44, this phraseology was regarded by many as indelicate, prob. on account of the foll. signif. of the word ducto).—
B. In partic.: aliquam, to take home, take to one's self a concubine, Plaut. As. 1, 3, 12 sq.; id. Men. 4, 3, 20; id. Poen. 4, 2, 46; Ter. Phorm. 3, 2, 15.—
II. Trop.
A. To deceive, delude, cheat: “nil moror ductarier,” Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 159: “qui me ductavit dolis,” id. Capt. 3, 4, 109.—
B. To charm, allure: set me Apollo ipsus delectat ductat Delficus, Enn. ap. Non. 97, 32 (Trag. v. 390 Vahl.): “meretrices eum labiis ductant,” id. Mil. 2, 1, 15.—(But in Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 85, the correct reading is duco, not ducto, v. Ritschl ad h. l.).