a-spīro (adsp-, Baiter, Rib., Merk., K. and H.; asp-, Kayser, Halm, Müller), āvi, ātum, 1, v. n. and a.
I Neutr.
A To breathe or blow upon; constr. with ad , the dat., or absol. : ad quae (granaria) nulla aura umida ex propinquis locis adspiret, Varr. R. R. 1, 57: ut ne ad eum frigus adspiret, Cels. 2, 17: pulmones se contrahunt adspirantes, exhaling , Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 136: Lenius aspirans aură, Cat. 68, 64: amaracus illum Floribus et dulci adspirans complectitur umbrā, Verg. A. 1, 694: adspirant aurae in noctem, rise at or toward night , id. ib. 7, 8: si minuma adspirat aura, Plin. 13, 22, 43, § 124: tibia adspirat choro, accompanies , Hor. A. P. 204 al.—
2 Trop.: alicui, to be favorable to , to favor , assist (the figure taken from a fair breeze): aspira mihi, Tib. 2, 1, 35: quibus aspirabat Amor, id. 2, 3, 71: adspirat primo fortuna labori, Verg. A. 2, 385: adspirate canenti, id. ib. 9, 525: di, coeptis adspirate meis, Ov. M. 1, 3.—Also absol. : magno se praedicat auxilio fuisse, quia paululum in rebus difficillimis aspiravit, Auct. ad Her. 4, 34 (cf. afflo).—
B To aspire to a person or thing, to desire to reach or obtain , i. e. to approach , come near (esp. with the access. idea of striving to attain to); constr. with ad , in with acc. , the dat., a local adv. , or absol. (class.; freq. in Cic.): qui prope ad ostium adspiraverint, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 4, 142: quid enim quisquam ad meam pecuniam me invito aspirat? quid accedit? Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 54 fin. ; so id. Div. in Caecil. 5 fin. : tu ad eum Ciceronem numquam aspirasti, id. Pis. 5 fin. ; so id. Fam. 7, 10: omnes aditus tuos interclusi, ut ad me adspirare non posses, id. Tusc. 5, 9, 27: aspirare in curiam, id. Verr. 2, 2, 31: in campum, id. Sull. 18, 52: ne non modo intrare, verum etiam adspicere aut aspirare possim, id. Caecin. 14; Col. 8, 14, 9: nec equis adspirat Achillis, Verg. A. 12, 352: sed non incendia Colchis adspirare sinit, Val. Fl. 7, 584.— Trop.: sed haec ad eam laudem, quam volumus, aspirare non possunt, arrive at , attain to , Cic. Or. 41, 140: bellicā laude aspirare ad Africanum nemo potest, id. Brut. 21, 84: haec etiam in equuleum coniciuntur, quo vita non adspirat beata, id. Tusc. 5, 5, 13; Gell. 14, 3, 10.—
C In gram., to give the h sound , to aspirate (cf. aspiratio, II. B.): consonantibus, Quint. 1, 5, 20: Graeci aspirare solent, id. 1, 4, 14; Nigid. ap. Gell. 13, 6, 3.—
II Act.
A To breathe or blow upon , to infuse , instil; lit. and trop. (poet. or in post-Aug. prose): Juno ventos adspirat eunti, sends favoring winds , Verg. A. 5, 607: adspiravit auram quandam salutis fortuna, Amm. 19, 6: dictis divinum amorem, Verg. A. 8, 373: novam pectoribus fidem, Claud. Fesc. 14, 16: nobis tantum ingenii aspiret, Quint. 4, prooem. § 5.— *
B To breathe or blow upon; trop. of the sea, to wash : insula adspiratur freto Gallico, is washed , Sol. 22.