I. Abstr., an effort, exertion, struggle, endeavor: ue ista hercle magno jam conatu magnas nugas dixerit, Ter. Heaut. 4, 1, 8: “quo majore conatu studioque aguntur,” Cic. Quint. 14, 47: “omnem sui tribunatus conatum in meam perniciem parare,” id. Fam. 5, 2, 6: “Genucius ad hostes magno conatu profectus,” Liv. 7, 6, 9: “in ipso conatu rerum circumegit se annus,” i. e. just as the affair was well begun, id. 9, 18, 15 Weissenb. ad loc.: “vixdum inchoatis rebus in ipso conatu gerendi belli,” id. 32, 28, 4.—
B. Trop., an impulse, inclination, tendency: “dedit natura beluis et sensum et appetitum, ut altero conatum haberent ad naturales pastus capessendos, altero secernerent, etc.,” Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 122: “nulla est ullo in genere laus orationis, cujus in nostris orationibus non sit aliqua si non perfectio, at conatus tamen atque adumbratio,” id. Or. 29, 103: “se ad hostes contulit conatumque iracundiae suae morte sedavit,” id. Brut. 10, 42.—
II. Concr., an attempt, effort, undertaking, enterprise, endeavor.
(α).
Sing.: “alii, si perrumpere possent conati ... telis repulsi hoc conatu destiterunt,” Caes. B. G. 1, 8 fin.: “principem esse ad conatum exercitus conparandi,” Cic. Phil. 10, 11, 24: “hac ego religione non sum ab hoc conatu repulsus,” id. Or. 11, 36: “si in me impetum facere conabitur ... ejus conatum refutabo,” id. Har. Resp. 4, 7: “Icarus primo statim conatu decidit,” Suet. Ner. 12: “a conatu resistendi deterritus se dedidit,” Nep. Dat. 4, 5.—
(β).
Plur.: “compressi tuos nefarios conatus,” Cic. Cat. 1, 5, 11: “perditi,” id. Off. 1, 30, 109: “quod conatus adversariorum infregissent,” Caes. B, G. 2, 21: “aut opprimet hominem aut omnis ejus motus conatusque prohibebit,” Cic. Cat. 2, 12, 26: “multis frustra conatibus captis,” Liv. 3, 5, 6; 9, 4, 1; 21, 29, 5: “conatibus alicujus accedere,” Suet. Oth. 4: “in mediis conatibus aegri Succidimus,” Verg. A. 12, 910: “obstare conatibus nostris,” Ov. R. Am. 683; Auct. B. Alex. 9; cf.: “optimi et clarissimi,” Cic. Fam. 12, 10, 2: “generosi,” Quint. 2, 4, 4: “crebri parvique,” id. 8, 5, 29: “ingentes adversus Germaniam,” Tac. Agr. 13: “vibrare nudis conatibus hastam,” Sil. 13, 161: “conatus alicujus supra vires,” Scrib. Comp. 101.
