cŏ-argŭo, ŭi, 3, v. a., orig., to assail a person or thing in different directions (cf. arguo init.); hence, jurid. t. t.
I Aliquem, to overwhelm with reasoning , refute , silence , expose; convict of guilt or crime , prove guilty (class., most freq. in Cic.; syn. convinco): Graecus testis... vinci, refelli, coargui putat esse turpissimum, Cic. Fl. 5, 11: criminibus coarguitur, id. Verr. 2, 4, 47, § 104: ut illum natura ipsius consuetudoque defendat, hunc autem haec cadem coarguant, id. Mil. 14, 36: decreto, Liv. 39, 28, 11: Lentulum dissimulantem coarguunt praeter litteras sermonibus, etc., Sall. C. 47, 2: Libonem in senatu, Suet. Tib. 25: in exprobrando et coarguendo acer (gestus), Quint. 11, 3, 92 al.—With gen. of the crime: aliquem avaritiae, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 59, § 153: commutati indicii, id. Sull. 15, 44: sceleris, Plin. 11, 37, 71, § 187: facinoris Tac. A. 13, 20.—
II Aliquid, to prove incontestably a crime , a wrong , a fallacy , etc., to demonstrate or show to be wrong , to refute (cf. arguo, II.): sin autem fuga laboris desidiam coarguit, nimirum, etc., Cic. Mur. 4, 9: rem certioribus argumentis, Auct. Her. 2, 5, 8: certum crimen multis suspitionibus, Cic. Rosc. Am. 30, 83: errorem, id. Ac. 1, 4, 13: perfidiam, id. Fam. 3, 8, 7: mendacium, id. Lig. 5, 16: Lacedaemoniorum tyrannidem, Nep. Epam. 6, 4: temeritatem artis, Suet. Dom. 15: vitia, Quint. 2, 6, 3: iniquitatem, Tac. A. 3, 12: quam (legem) usus coarguit, which experience has proved to be injudicious , Liv. 34, 6, 4; cf. id. 31, 25, 9: quod coarguunt fici, disprove , Plin. 16, 31, 56, § 130: domini coarguit aures, betrays , publishes , makes known , Ov. M. 11, 193 (cf. arguo, II. fin. ).—With a clause as object: quod falsum esse pluribus coarguitur, Quint. 4, 2, 4; Auct. B. Alex. 68.