aemŭlus, a, um, adj. [cf. ἁμιλλάομαι and ἅμα, imitor, imago, Germ. ahmen (Eng. aim) in nachahmen = to imitate], striving after another earnestly, emulating, rivalling, emulous (cf. aemulatio and aemulor), in a good and bad sense; constr. with dat. or as subst. with gen.
I In a good sense, Att. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 26, 42: laudum, Cic. Phil. 2, 12: laudis, id. Cael. 14: aemulus atque imitator studiorum ac laborum, id. Marc. 1, 2: Timagenis aemula lingua, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 15: itinerum Herculis, Liv. 21, 41.—With ne and subj.: milites aemuli, ne dissimiles viderentur, Aur. Vict. Caes. 8, 3.—
II In a bad sense, both of one who, with a hostile feeling, strives after the possessions of another, and of one who, on account of his strong desire for a thing, envies him who possesses it; envious , jealous , grudging. — With gen.: Karthago aemula imperii Romani, Sall C. 10; Vell. 2, 1: Triton, Verg. A. 6, 173: quem remoto aemulo aequiorem sibi sperabat, Tac. A. 3, 8: Britannici, Suet. Ner. 6.—
III Subst., a rival = rivalis: mihi es aemula, you are my rival (i. e. you have the same desire as I ), Plaut. Rud. 1, 4, 20; Ter. Eun. 623; cf. id. ib. 214; si non tamquam virum, at tamquam aemulum removisset, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 31, §82: et si nulla subest aemula, languet amor, Ov. A. A. 2, 436.—By meton. (eccl.), an enemy : videbis aemulum tuum in templo, Vulg. 1 Reg. 2, 32; affligebat eam aemula, ib. 1, 6.— In gen., mostly of things without life, vying with , rivalling a thing , i. e. comparable to , similar to , with dat., v. Rudd. II. p. 70 (poet., and in prose after the Aug. per.): tibia tubae Aemula, Hor. A. P. 203: labra rosis, Mart. 4, 42: Tuscis vina cadis, id. 13, 118; Plin. 9, 17, 29, § 63; id. 15, 18, 19, § 68 al.: Dictator Caesar summis oratoribus aemulus, i. e. aequiparandus, Tac. A. 13, 3.☞ Facta dictaque ejus aemulus for aemulans, Sall. Fragm. Hist. 3 (cf. celatum indagator for indagans in Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 15, unless celatum be here a gen.).