ā-vŏco, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. (arch. inf., AVOCARIER, C. I. L. I. p. 198), to call off or away.
I In gen.: partem exercitūs ad bellum, Liv. 4, 61, 3: pubem in arcem praesidio armisque obtinendam, id. 1, 6, 1: Consul ab omnibus magistratibus et comitiatum et contionem avocare potest. Messala ap. Gell. 13, 16, 1.—With dat. (for ab aliquo): nec avocare alius alii posset, si contionem habere volunt, Messala ap. Gell. 13, 16, 1.— Trop.: a rebus occultis avocare philosophiam, Cic. Ac. 1, 4, 15: ut (orator) a propriis personis et temporibus avocet controversiam, id. Or. 14, 45: quibusdam ad Antiochum multitudinis animos avocantibus, Liv. 37, 9, 1.—
II Esp.
A To call one off from an action, purpose, wish, etc., i. e. to withdraw , divert , turn , remove , separate (the usual signif. of the word): aliquem ab aliquā re voluptas avocat, Cic. Arch. 6, 12: si te laus adlicere ad recte faciendum non potest, ne metus quidem a foedissimis factis potest avocare? id. Phil. 2, 45: aliquem ab alicujus conjunctione, id. ib. 2, 10: quos jam aetas a proeliis avocabat, id. Rosc. Am. 32, 90: senectus avocat a rebus gerendis, id. Sen. 5, 15; so id. Balb. 26, 59: qui omnino avocent a philosophiā, id. Fin. 1, 1, 2; id. Leg. 2, 4, 9 hos a bello avocas, Nep. Epam. 5, 3: avocat a curā vocis ille adfectus, Quint. 11, 3, 25; Suet. Aug. 40.—
B To withdraw the attention , to distract , divert.
1 To withdraw by interrupting, to interrupt , hinder : multum distringebar frigidis negotiis, quae simul et avocant animum et comminuunt, Plin. Ep. 9, 2, 1.—
2 To divert by cheering, to divert , cheer , amuse : ab iis quae avocant abductus, et liber et mihi relictus, Plin. Ep. 9, 36, 2; hence, se, to divert , entertain one’s self , Arn. 7, p. 215; and pass. with mid. sense: illic avocare et illic lude, * Vulg. Eccli. 32, 15.—
C.1 In the Lat. of the jurists = revocare, to reclaim , recall : partem ejus, quod in fraudem datum esset, Dig. 22, 3, 6; so, possessionem, ib. 19, 1, 3; also with dat. (for ab aliquo ): non potest avocari ei res, ib. 35, 2, 1.—
2 Trop.: factum, to revoke , disavow , Dig. 39, 5, 6: arma, to make a feint in fighting , Quint. 9, 1, 20.