I.to find out by thinking, to contrive, devise, invent (freq. and class.; cf.: “comminiscor, simulo, confingo, fingo, etc.): quid enim mali aut sceleris fingi aut excogitari potest, quod non ille conceperit?” Cic. Cat. 2, 4, 7: “ad haec igitur cogita, mi Attice, vel potius excogita,” id. Att. 9, 6, 7: “quid igitur causae excogitari potest, cur? etc.,” id. Deiot. 7, 20: “novam interregni ineundi rationem,” id. Rep. 2, 12: “aliquid dignum dono deorum aut efficere aut excogitare,” id. ib. 3, 3, 4: “multa praeterea generatim ad avaritiam excogitabantur,” Caes. B. C. 3, 32, 1: “aliquid ad ornatum portarum, etc.,” Hirt. B. G. 8, 51, 2: “o callidos homines! o rem excogitatam!” Cic. Or. 67, 225: “quicquid omnino excogitari contra potest,” Quint. 12, 8, 10: “res ab illis dicta, non a nobis excogitata,” id. 5, 13, 49: “in rebus excogitandis (opp. gerendis),” Nep. Them. 1 fin.—Impers. with ut: “excogitatum est a quibusdam ut, etc.,” Nep. Att. 8, 3; cf. with a subject-sentence: “cum recenti fico salis vice caseo vesci nuper excogitatum est,” Plin. 15, 19, 21, § 82.—
II. Transf., to name: “Alpes Poeninas,” Amm. 15, 10, 9.—Hence, * excōgĭtātus , a, um, P. a., sought out, choice: “excogitatissimae hostiae,” Suet. Calig. 22.