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Lewis & Short Latin Dictionary
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Words With Similar Definitions
Latin1: exopto 2: desidero 3: jucundus 4: dulcis 5: egeo
Greek1: himertos 2: euktos 3: epithumeô 4: thelêtos 5: himeirô
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opto, âvi, âtum, 1 (optassis for optaveris, Plaut. Mil. 3.1.75), v. a. [root op, whence Gr. OPTÔ, opsomai; qs. to look out, pick out, = legere, eligere], to choose, select (anteclass. and poet.; syn. deligo): utrum vis, opta, dum licet, Plaut. Rud. 3.6.14; id. Aul. prol. 11: sapientius opta, Ov. M. 2.102: non video hic, quid magnopere optem, Lucil. ap. Non. 358, 13: inhoneste parare divitias, Ter. And. 4, 5, 2: locum tecto, Verg. A. 1.425: locum regno, id. ib. 3.109: externos duces, id. ib. 8.503: L. Furium optavit, Liv. 6.25.--Hence, in relig. lang.: optatam hostiam, alii optimam, appellant eam, quam aedilis tribus constitutis hostiis optat, quam immolari velit, Fest. p. 186 Müll. --

II. Transf., to wish, wish for, desire (the predominant signification of the word; cf.: volo, cupio, desidero, aveo): tua vita optanda est, Ter Phorm. 1, 3, 12: nihil nisi quod honestum sit, Cic. Off. 1, 20, 66: aliquid votis, Verg. A. 10.279: vestitus, quem cupimus optamusque, Cic. Phil. 14.1.2: fortunam, id. Pis. 14.32.--With ut (class. and freq.): (Phaëthon) optavit, ut in currum patris tolleretur, Cic. Off. 3, 25, 94: numquam a dis immortalibus optabo. ut, etc., id. Cat. 2.7.15.--With subj.: optavi, peteres caelestia sidera tarde, Ov. Tr. 2, 57.--With inf.: hunc videre saepe optabamus diem, Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 29: cujus integrâ re consilium exquirere optassem, Plin. Ep. 3, 4, 2: officia mandare, deponere optantibus, id. Pan. 87, 2: Darius equestri proelio decernere optabat, Curt. 3, 11, 1; 4, 12, 4: meliores liberos habere, Suet. Oth. 1 fin.; Tac. Or. 9.--With acc. and inf.: impleri sinus optabamus, Quint. 10, 7, 23: ex Indiâ sospitem ipsum reverti, Curt. 10, 1, 7: quem te esse opto, Cic. Fam. 10, 20, 3: omnes mortales sese laudarier optant, Enn. ap. Aug. Trin. 13, 6 (Ann. v. 551 Vahl.). --Absol.: optare hoc quidem est, non docere, Cic. Tusc. 2, 13, 30; cf. id. Ac. 2, 38, 121; id Fat. 20, 47: optare alicui aliquid, to wish one any thing, in a good sense: equidem tibi bona optavi omnia, Plaut. Rud. 3.2.25: tibi optamus eam rem publicam, in quâ, etc., Cic. Brut. 97, 331; but mostly in a bad sense (= imprecari): si totum exercitum mortem mihi optasse crederem, Liv 28, 27, 10: quid mali feci, ut mihi pejorem reditum quam exitum optares? Sen. Ben. 6, 37, 2: furorem et insaniam optare alicui, id. Pis. 20, 46; id. Tusc. 1, 44, 107: aliquid ab aliquo, to desire, require, demand any thing of any one: quodvis donum et praemium a me optato, id optatum feres, Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 27: hoc et pallidus optas, pray for, Juv. 10, 189.--Hence, op-tâtus, a, um, P. a., wished, desired, longed for, agreeable, pleasing, pleasant, dear (class.): optati cives, populares, incolae, Plaut. Aul. 3.1.1: rumores, Cic. Fam. 16, 21, 1: gloria, Juv. 10, 187.--Comp.: nihil mihi fuit optatius, quam, ut, etc., Cic. Fam. 1, 5, 1.--Sup.: vale, mi optime et optatissime frater, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 8, 2.--

B. Subst.: optâtum, i, n., a wish, desire: di tibi semper omnia optata offerant, Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 21; cf. afferant, Plaut. Capt. 2.2.105: eveniunt optata deae. Ov. M. 6.370: impetrare optatum, Cic. Off. 3, 25, 94: praeter optatum meum, against my wish, id. Pis. 20.46: meis optatis fortuna respondit, id. Fam. 2, 1, 1: mihi in optatis est, it is my wish, I wish, id. ib. 2, 13, 2.--Hence, adv.: optâ-tô, according to one's wish (class.): optato venire, Plaut. Am. 2.2.26: mihi veneris, Cic. Att. 13, 28, 3: optato ventis aestate coortis, Verg. A. 10.405.‡† optostrôtum, i, n. [optos-strôton], a brick pavement, Not. Tir. p. 164.