circum-specto, āvi, ātum, āre, v. freq. a., to look about with attention, precaution, desire, etc.; to cast a look around, to search around; and with acc., to look about one’s self (attentively, anxiously, etc.) after something, to look all around upon something (class.)
I Prop.
α Absol. : dum circumspecto, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 3, 45 (al.: me circumspecto): quanto se opere custodiant bestiae, ut in pastu circumspectent, Cic. N. D. 2, 49, 126: primum circumspectans tergiversari, Liv. 4, 14, 4; Plin. 8, 4, 5, § 9: circumspectans huc et illuc, Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62.—
β With acc.: te hercle ego circumspectabam, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 8: alia, Ter. Eun. 602; 291: inter se, Tac. H. 2, 29: ora principum, Liv. 26, 18, 6: quousque me circumspectabitis? id. 6, 18, 7; cf. Tac. H. 4, 8: omnia, to look about anxiously , Cic. Pis. 41, 99; Sall. J. 72, 2; cf.: mare et silvas, ignota omnia circumspectantes, Tac. Agr. 32 Ritter (Halm: circum spectantes).— Pass. : muta atque inanima, tectum et parietes circumspectabantur, Tac. A. 4, 69 fin. —
γ With a rel.-clause : Nabis quanam ipse evaderet circumspectabat, Liv. 34, 39, 8; cf. with foll. si , id. 25, 36, 5: si quam reperiat, Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62.—
δ With acc. and ut with subj.: dum alius alium, ut proelium ineant, circumspectant, Liv. 2, 10, 9.—
ε Reflex. (only in Plaut.; cf. circumspicio, I. A.): loca contemplat, circumspectat sese, atque aedis noscitat, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 21; cf. id. Bacch. 2, 3, 45 supra.—
II Trop.: dubitans, circumspectans, haesitans, tanquam rate in mari immenso nostra vehitur oratio, Cic. Tusc. 1, 30, 73: circumspectantes defectionis tempus, watching , waiting , on the look-out for , Liv. 21, 39, 5: initium erumpendi, Tac. H. 1, 55: Vespasianus bellum armaque et procul vel juxta sitas vires circumspectabat, carefully weighed , considered , id. ib. 2, 74; so, fugam et fallendi artes, id. ib. 3, 73: medicamina quasso imperio, Sil. 15, 7: omnes argumentorum locos, Quint. 12, 8, 14.