certō āvī, ātus, āre, freq.
certus, to match, vie with, fight, contend, struggle, combat, do battle: armis cum hoste, an venenis?: pugnis, calcibus: proelio, S.: de salute, Ta.: de ambiguo agro bello, L.: acie, V.: animis iniquis, V.: in Bruti salute certatur: maximā vi certatur, S. — Fig., to contend, struggle, strive: inter se quo iure certarent: in centumvirali iudicio: provocatione, L.: si quid se iudice certes, H.: foro si res certabitur olim, be tried, H.: cui (multae) certandae cum dies advenisset, L.: certata lite deorum Ambracia, the subject of arbitration, O.: quicum omni ratione certandum sit: (carmina) certantia iudice Tarpā, recited in competition, H. — To contend, compete, wrestle, struggle, strive, vie, match: cursu cum aequalibus, S.: si nautae certarent, quis eorum potissimum gubernaret: dic, mecum quo pignore certes (in music), V.: Carmine vilem ob hircum, H.: solus tibi certat Amyntas, is your only rival, V.: Certent et cycnis ululae, V.—With inf: Phoebum superare canendo, V.: aequales certat superare legendo (violas), O.: inter se eruere quercum, V.: praedas certantes agere, with all their might, S.: Avidi gloriae certantes murum petere, striving to outdo one another, S.—Fig., to compete, vie, emulate, rival: Benedictis si certasset, T.: cum civibus de virtute, S.: cum aliorum improbitate: contumaciā adversus nobiles, L.: vobiscum de amore rei p.: virtute oportere, non genere certari.—Poet.: viridique certat Baca Venafro, H.: decerpens Certantem uvam purpurae, H.: (hunc) tergeminis tollere honoribus (i. e. tollendo), H.