I.a. [often referred to Sanscr. pāpa, pāpaka, wicked; but better to root pik-, to be angry; cf.: piget, pigeo, and Fick, Vergl. Wört. 632], to miss or mistake any thing; to do amiss, to transgress, to commit a fault, to offend, sin: “peccare est tamquam transilire lineas,” Cic. Par. 3, 1, 20: “alius magis alio vel peccat vel recte facit,” id. Fin. 3, 14, 48; id. Or. 47, 157: “peccare largiter,” to make a great mistake, Plaut. Most. 2, 2, 8; id. Ep. 3, 4, 53.—With acc.: “si unam peccavisses syllabam,” Plaut. Bacch. 3, 3, 29: aliquid, to offend in any respect: “plura in aliquā re,” Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 44: “Empedocles multa alia peccat,” Cic. N. D. 1, 12, 29: “eadem fere,” id. ib. 1, 12, 31: “talia peccandi jam mihi finis erit,” Ov. P. 3, 7, 10.—With in and acc.: “si quid in te peccavi . . . in me ipsum peccavi vehementius,” Cic. Att. 3, 15, 4: “in rem publicam,” id. ib. 7, 1, 3 (al. in re publicā).—With erga aliquem, Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 62.—In aliquo or in aliquā re: “quod in eo (Valerio) peccandi Germanis causa non esset,” Caes. B. G. 1, 47: “in servo necando semel peccatur,” Cic. Par. 3, 2, 25: “in hoc eodem peccat Hieronymus,” id. Fin. 2, 10, 32: “non modo in vitā sed saepissime et in poëmatis et in oratione peccatur,” id. Or. 21, 70.—With abl. alone: “et pecuniā et mollibus consultis,” Tac. A. 1, 40: “libidine,” Juv. 6, 135.—With dat. of person (late Lat.): “Domino,” Vulg. Deut. 1, 41; id. 2 Reg. 12, 13.—De aliquă re, Caecil. ap. Gell. 2, 23, 13.—
B. In partic., of sexual sin: “quid inter-Est in matronā, ancillā, peccesve togatā?” Hor. S. 1, 2, 63; Ov. H. 16, 295; Mart. 1, 35, 2.—
II. Transf., of animals and inanim. things, to fail, miscarry: “ne Peccet (equus) ad extremum ridendus,” Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 9: “unus de toto peccaverat orbe comarum Anulus,” Mart. 2, 66, 1: “si senseris vina peccatura,” Pall. 11, 14.—Hence, peccans , antis, P. a., sinful, full of sin: “unus dies bene actus peccanti immortalitati anteponendus,” Cic. Tusc. 5, 2, 5.— Comp.: “peccantius,” more faulty, worse, Cael. Aur. Acut. 3, 8, 88.—
B. As subst.: peccans , antis, comm., an offender, sinner: non prodest latere peccantibus. Sen. Ep. 97, 13: “peccantium poena,” id. ib. 97, 14: “ad officium peccantes redire cogeret,” Nep. Ages. 5, 3.—Adv.: peccanter , wrongly, incorrectly, falsely, Cael. Aur. Acut. 2, 9, 40: “definire aliquid,” id. ib. 3, 1, 5.