I.a bird-catcher, fowler.
I. Lit.: “Piscator, pistor apstulit, lanii, coqui, Holitores, myropolae, aucupes,” Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 7: “veluti merulis intentus decidit auceps In puteum,” Hor. A. P. 458: “quasi avis de manu aucupis,” Vulg. Prov. 6, 5; ib. Jer. 5, 26; ib. Amos, 3, 5: as a bird-seller: “Edicit piscator uti, pomarius, auceps,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 227: “Non avis aucupibus monstrat, quā parte petatur,” Ov. A. A. 3, 669 al.—
II. Trop., a spy, eavesdropper: “circumspice dum, ne quis nostro hic auceps sermoni siet,” Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 9 (cf. id. ib. 3, 1, 14: “ne quis... nostro consilio venator adsit cum auritis plagis): Numquis hic est alienus nostris dictis auceps auribus,” id. Stich. 1, 2, 45: “voluptatum auceps, Cic. Ac. Fragm. ap. Aug. contra Ac. 3, 7 (Orell. IV. 2, p. 470): praeco actionum, cantor formularum, auceps syllabarum,” a minute and trifling critic, a caviller, id. de Or. 1, 55, 236.