I.gen. plur. precantūm, Ov. M. 12, 33; Plaut. Rud. 1, 5, 2), 1, v. dep. n. and a. [root Sanscr. pracch- prask-, to ask; Germ. fragen; v. posco].
I. To ask, beg, entreat, pray, supplicate, request, invoke, call upon, beseech; to sue, say, or speak as a suppliant (class.; syn.: oro, rogo, supplico).
(α).
With acc. of the person addressed: “qui ne precari quidem Jovem optimum maximum possit,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 32, § 71; id. Balb. 24, 55: “deos colere, precari, venerarique,” id. N. D. 1, 42, 119: “quid veneramur, quid precamur deos,” id. ib. 1, 44, 122; id. Cat. 2, 13, 29: “deos tacite malumus et intra nos ipsos precari,” Sen. Ben. 2, 1, 4: “Nyctelium patrem precare,” Ov. A. A. 1, 567.—
(β).
With dat. of person in whose behalf: “bona omnia populo Romano,” Liv. 24, 16, 10: “longum Augusto precare diem,” Prop. 3, 9, 49 (4, 10, 50).—
(γ).
With pro and abl. of person prayed for: “ut jure sacerdotii precari deos pro te publice possim, quos nunc precor pietate privatā,” Plin. Ep. 10, 13 (8) fin.: “pro necessario ac propinquo suo,” Curt. 5, 3, 14: “pro nobis mitte precari,” Ov. M. 3, 614: “pro te,” Front. Ep. ad Anton. 1, 1; Aug. Ep. 175, 5.—
(δ).
With acc. of thing prayed for: “haec precatus sum,” Cic. Pis. 20, 46: “hortatur pater veniam precari,” Verg. A. 3, 144: “tibi di, quaecunque preceris commoda dent,” Hor. S. 2, 8, 75: “date quae precamur,” id. C. S. 3: “vitam,” Vell. 2, 79, 5; 2, 85, 5: “saepe precor mortem,” Ov. P. 1, 2, 59.—So with two acc.: “quod precarer deos,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 9: “ut quod deos precati eritis,” Liv. 40, 46, 9: “quid habeo aliud deos immortales precari, quam ut, etc.,” Suet. Aug. 58 fin.—（ε) With ut, ne, quominus, or (poet.) subj. alone: “ut fas sit vidisse, tacitus precatur,” Sen. Ep. 115, 4: “deosque precetur et oret, ut,” Hor. A. P. 200; Cic. Dom. 57, 144; Curt. 7, 2, 31; Liv. 24, 5, 5; 25, 25, 6; 26, 25, 13: “pro se quisque precari coepere, ne festinatione periculum augeret,” Curt. 3, 5, 14: “precare ne jubeant, etc.,” Ov. A. A. 1, 568: “si id non probares, quominus ambo unā necaremini non precarere,” Cic. Fin. 2, 24, 79: “hoc quoque, dux operis, moneas, precor,” Ov. F. 4, 247: “det solum miserae mite, precare, fuge,” id. P. 2, 2, 68: “tandem venias precamur,” Hor. C. 1, 2, 30: “reddas incolumem precor,” id. ib. 1, 3, 7; id. Epod. 3, 20.—（ξ) With ab and abl. of person addressed: “precor ab iis ut, etc.,” Cic. Rab. Perd. 2, 5: “hoc a diis immortalibus precari, ut, etc.,” Nep. Timol. 5, 2: “quae precatus a diis sum, ut, etc.,” Cic. Mur. 1, 1: ab indigno, id. Lael. 16, 57: “esse stultitiam, a quibus bona precaremur, ab iis dantibus nolle sumere,” id. N. D. 3, 34, 84.—（η) With acc. of the prayer: “te bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi,” Cato, R. R. 139; cf. id. ib. 132, 2.—（θ) With object-clause: “sibi et vicinis serere se,” Plin. 18, 13, 35, § 131: “numquam placidas esse precarer aquas,” Ov. H. 19, 82.—（ι) With ad: “di, ad quos precentur ac supplicent,” make supplications, Liv. 38, 43.—（κ) Absol.: “fata deūm flecti precando,” Verg. A. 6, 376; so freq. in part. pres.: “mitis precanti,” Stat. Th. 1, 189: “verba precantia,” Ov. M. 7, 590: “manum precantem Protendere,” Verg. A. 12, 930: “oliva,” Stat. Th. 2, 478: “eum sororem dedisse Prusiae precanti,” Liv. 42, 12, 4; “and parenthetically: gnatique patrisque, Alma, precor, miserere,” Verg. A. 6, 117: “parce, precor,” Hor. C. 4, 1, 2; Ov. H. 16, 11; id. Am. 3, 9, 67: “per hoc decus, precor,” Hor. Epod. 5, 7.—
II. In partic., to wish well or ill to any one, to hail, salute, or address one with a wish, alicui aliquid (class.).
1. Of good wishes: “sic exire e patriā, ut omnes sui cives salutem, incolumitatem, reditum precentur,” Cic. Pis. 14, 33: “cape, Roma, triumphum, Et longum Augusto salva precare diem,” Prop. 3, 11 (4, 10), 50: “nos perpetuam felicitatem reipublicae precari,” Suet. Aug. 58: sibi et suis εὐθανασίαν similem precabatur, id. ib. 97: “alicui immortalitatem,” Curt. 8, 5, 16: “permittamus vela ventis et oram solventibus bene precemur,” Quint. Ep. ad Tryph. 3.—
2. Of evil wishes, imprecations; with mala, male, etc., to curse, invoke evil upon: “neque, si umquam vobis mala precarer, morbum aut mortem aut cruciatum precarer,” Cic. Pis. 19, 43: “quod tibi evenit, ut omnes male precarentur,” id. ib. 14, 33: “(Ajax) mala multa precatus Atridis,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 203: “male precari,” Plaut. Merc. 2, 1, 11: “pergin' precari pessimo,” id. As. 2, 4, 71; cf.: “audisti quae malo principi precamur,” Plin. Pan. 94, 2.—（Act. form prĕco , āre, Prisc. p. 779 P.; partic. precatus, as passive, Juvenc. 3, 85; cf. Varr. ap. Non. 480, 27.)
