aucŭpor, ātus, 1, v. dep. and act. [auceps], to go bird-catching or fowling.
I Lit.: Alio loco ut seras ac colas silvam caeduam, alio ubi aucupare, Varr. R. R. 1, 23, 5; Dig. 41, 1, 3.—Also of taking bees : spes aucupandi examina, Col. 3, 8, 8.—
II Trop., to chase , give chase to , strive for , be on the look-out for , lie in wait for; watch for , etc. (a favorite figure in prose and poetry; in Cic. perh. twenty times; syn.: insidior, sequor): Viden scelestus ut aucupatur? how he gives chase? Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 49: nos longis navibus tranquillitates aucupaturi eramus, Cic. Att. 6, 8, 4: tempus, id. Rosc. Am. 8, 22: alicujus imbecillitatem, id. Fl. 37, 92: ut omni ex genere orationem aucuper, et omnis undique flosculos carpam atque delibem, id. Sest. 56, 119; id. Verr. 1, 3, 9; id. Or. 2, 7 fin. ; 14, 59; 63, 256; 19, 63; id. Fin. 2, 22, 71: L. Cassio omnes ramusculos popularis aurae aucupante, id. Leg. 3, 16, 35; id. Fam. 5, 12, 6 al.: occasionem, Auct. B. Afr. 3 fin. : obtrectatione alienae scientiae famam sibi, Plin. H. N. praef. § 30; 33, 2, 8, § 32: studium populi ac favorem, Flor. 3, 13, 1: reconditas voces, Suet. Aug. 86: absentiam alicujus, Just. 29, 4: somnos, Ov. H. 13, 107.☞
a Act. form aucŭpo , āre, to watch for , etc.: fructus verborum aures aucupant, Enn. ap. Non. p. 467, 14: prospectum aucupo, Pac. ib.: in consilio id reges Argivom aucupant, Att. ib.: id ego aucupavi, Titinn. ib.: Paulisper mane: Aucupemus ex insidiis clanculum quam rem gerant, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 31: num quis est, Sermonem nostrum qui aucupet, id. Most. 2, 2, 42; so Sen. Herc. Oet. 483: ex insidiis aucupa, Plaut. Men. 4, 1, 12: qui aucupet me quid agam, id. Mil. 4, 2, 5: Lepide, mecastor, aucupavi, id. Truc. 5, 72.—*
b Pass. form aucupor: Multa divulgata ac per rumorem vicissim aucupata discuntur, Lact. 5, 22.