ădūlor, ātūs, 1, v. dep. [acc. to Lobeck, the -ulo, -ulor is connected with ἴλλειν (cf. εἰλύω, ἐλύω, and volvo), and thus denoted orig. the wagging of the tail and fawning of brutes; Fest. p. 21 Müll., thought adulor was a form of adludo, to play with; cf. Ger. wedeln and Eng. to wheedle], to cling to one fawningly, to fawn as a dog; and trop., of cringing flattery, which is exhibited in words and actions, to flatter in a cringing manner, to fawn upon (while assentari signified to yield to one in everything, to assent to what he says, and is used only of men; and blandiri, to be soft and pleasing in manner, to flatter by honeyed words as well as by captivating manners; cf. Cic. Lael. 25).— Constr. with acc., more rarely with dat., Rudd. II. p. 136; Zumpt, § 389.
I In gen.: ferarum Agmen adulantum, Ov. M. 14, 45: Quin etiam blandas movere per aëra caudas, Nostraque adulantes comitant vestigia, id. ib. 14, 257. caudam more adulantium canum blande movet, Gell. 5, 14: hi (canes) furem quoque adulantur, Col. 7, 12.—Meton.: horrentem, trementem, adulantem omnīs videre te volui: vidi, Cic. Pis. 41: aperte adulantem nemo non videt, id. Lael. 26: aut adulatus aut admiratus fortunam sum alterius, id. Div. 2, 2, 6; Liv. 45, 31: quemcunque principem, Tac. H. 1, 32: Neronem aut Tigellium, id. A. 16, 19: dominum, Sen. de Ira, 2, 31, 6; Nep., Liv., and Curt. have the dat.: Antonio, Nep. Att. 8, 6: praesentibus, Liv. 36, 7: singulis, Curt. 4, 1, 19.—In the time of Quint. the use of the dat. was predominant: huic non hunc adulari jam dicitur, 9, 3, 1; yet Tac. preferred the acc., v. the passages cited above.—
II Esp. of the servile reverence paid to Asiatic kings, προσκυνεῖν; cf. adulatio: more adulantium procubuerunt: conveniens oratio tam humili adulationi fuit, Liv. 30, 16: more Persarum, Val. Max. 4, 7, ext. 2; so id. ib. 6, 3, ext. 2.
III —Hence, ădūlans , antis, P. a., flattering , adulatory : verba, Plin. Pan. 26: quid adulantius? Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 27.— Sup. is wanting.—* Adv.: ădūlanter , flatteringly , fawningly , Fulg. Contin. Verg. p. 153.