dŏcĕo, cŭi, ctum, 2, v. a. [root da; Zend. dā, to know; strengthened, dak-; Gr. διδάσκω; Lat. disco], to teach, instruct, inform, show, tell, etc. (for syn. cf.: edoceo, perdoceo, erudio, praecipio, instituo).
I In gen., with double acc. of person and thing: pejor magister te istaec docuit ... illa, quae te docui, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 55: hunc hominem cursuram, id. Trin. 4, 3, 9: aliquem artem, Cic. de Or. 2, 54: aliquem litteras, id. Pis. 30: aliquem ejusmodi rem, id. Quint. 25, 79: pueros elementa, Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 17 et saep.— Pass. , with acc. rei : is reliqua frustra docetur, Quint. 4, 2, 90; 1, 5, 11; 3, 8, 70; 6, 2, 3; Hor. C. 3, 6, 21; id. S. 1, 6, 76 et saep.; cf.: doctus dogmam, Laber. ap. Prisc. p. 679 fin. P.; and: doctus militiam, Sall. H. Fragm. 1, 40, p. 224 ed. Gerl.—With inf.: docemur auctoritate domitas habere libidines, Cic. de Or. 1, 43, 194; 1, 57, 244; id. Fin. 2, 5, 15: docemur disputare, non vivere (= discimus), Sen. Ep. 95, 13: equi variare gyros docentur, Tac. G. 6; Sall. J. 85, 33; Nep. Epam. 2, 1; Liv. 21, 3, 6.—With acc. pers. and inf.: ut doceam Rullum posthac in iis saltem tacere rebus, in quibus, etc., Cic. Agr. 3, 2; so id. Phil. 2, 4, 8; Hor. S. 1, 1, 91; id. Ep. 1, 14, 30 al.; cf. ellipt. with abl. of instrument: Socratem fidibus (sc. canere), Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3: aliquem docendum curare equo, armisque, Liv. 29, 1, 8; Zumpt, § 391 fin. —With acc. pers. and de , to instruct or inform one of : de ejus injuriis judices docere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 51: aliquem de aliqua re, id. Rosc. Am. 9, 26; 44, 127; id. de Or. 2, 24, 102; Sall. J. 13, 3 al. —With acc. pers. and rel. clause : doceant eum, qui vir Sex. Roscius fuerit, Cic. Rosc. Am. 9, 25; id. Att. 8, 2, 2; id. Fam. 3, 6, 5; 5, 3; Quint. 6, 1, 20 al.—With acc. pers. : studiosos discendi erudiunt atque docent, Cic. Off. 1, 44, 156; id. Div. 2, 2; id. de Sen. 9, 29; Quint. 2, 5, 13; Hor. S. 2, 2, 50; id. Ep. 1, 13, 1 et saep.—With acc. rei : coepit studiose omnia Docere, educare, ita uti si esset filia, Ter. Eun. 117; so, aliquid, Caes. B. G. 5, 42 fin. ; Quint. 7, 10, 10; 9, 4, 137; Hor. A. P. 306 et saep.; cf. also: quod de lacu Albano docuisset, Liv. 5, 15; so with two acc., Caes. B. G. 7, 10, 3; Cic. Clu. 70, 198.—With acc. and inf.: docui per litteras, id nec opus esse nec fieri posse, Cic. Att. 16, 8; Caes. B. G. 5, 1, 7; 5, 28, 4; Quint. 1, 5, 43; Hor. S. 2, 3, 63 et saep.— Absol. : cum doceo et explano, Cic. de Or. 2, 19, 82; id. Or. 42, 143; Quint. 3, 4, 15; 3, 5, 2 et saep.; cf. also: Tyrannio docet apud me, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 4 fin.
II In partic.: fabulam, like the Gr. διδάσκειν, qs. to teach a play to the actors, to rehearse; hence, to produce, exhibit on the stage : minor fuit aliquanto is, qui primus fabulam dedit, quam ii, qui multas docuerant (Plautus et Naevius), Cic. Brut. 18, 73; id. Tusc. 4, 29, 63; Hor. A. P. 288; Gell. 17, 21, 42.
III —Hence, doctus , a, um, P. a., learned , skilled , versed , experienced in any thing (cf.: litteratus, eruditus, peritus, gnarus, scitus).— Absol. : doctus vir et Graecis litteris eruditus, Cic. Brut. 30, 114; cf. id. de Or. 1, 22, 102; 2, 74, 299: adolescentes humanissimi et doctissimi, id. Cael. 10, 24.—With ex : fuit enim doctus ex disciplina Stoicorum, Cic. Brut. 25.—With abl.: docti et Graecis litteris et Latinis, Cic. Brut. 46; 45 fin. ; Sall. C. 25, 2; Mart. 10, 76. —With adv.: nec minus Graece quam Latine doctus, Suet. Gram. 7.—With gen.: fandi doctissima Cymodocea, Verg. A. 10, 225: legum atque morum populi Romani jurisque civilis, Gell. 13, 12, 1: sagittarum, Aur. Vict. Epit. 11: artis lanificae, Claud. in Eutr. 2, 381.—With acc.: (Maecenas) docte sermones utriusque linguae, Hor. C. 3, 8, 5: dulces modos (with citharae sciens), id. ib. 3, 9, 10: omnia, Stat. Th. 2, 692: litteras, Gell. 19, 9, 7.—With inf.: doctus sagittas tendere Sericas, Hor. C. 1, 29, 9; 3, 6, 38; 4, 13, 7; id. Carm. Sec. 75 et saep.—With ad or in : ad delinquendum doctior, Ov. Tr. 2, 256: in parum fausto carmine docta fui, id. H. 21, 182: Sapphica puella Musa doctior, more skilled in song , Cat. 35, 17: docta puella, Prop. 1, 7, 11; 2, 11, 6 (3, 2, 6 M.); 2, 13, 11 (3, 4, 11 M.).—Esp. as epithet of Catullus by other poets, Tib. 3, 6, 41; Ov. Am. 3, 9, 62: Verona docti syllabas amat vatis, Mart. 1, 61, 1; Ov. A. A. 2, 181.—As subst.: doctus, the man of skill.—Prov. : doctus in se semper divitias habet, Phaedr. 4, 21, 1; but class. only in plur.: doctī , ōrum, m., the learned : doctorum est ista consuetudo, Cic. Lael. 5, 17 et saep.—
2 Of things as subjects: frontes, Hor. C. 1, 1, 29: tibia, Prop. 2, 30, 16 (3, 28, 16 M.): carmina, Tib. 2, 3, 20; cf. vox, Ov. P. 2, 5, 52: voces Pythagoreorum, Cic. Tusc. 4, 1, 2: sermo, Plin. Ep. 7, 25, 3: prece, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 135: manus artificis, Tib. 1, 8, 12; cf. id. 2, 1, 70; Ov. F. 3, 832; 6, 792: falx, Prop. 2, 19, 12 (3, 12, 12 M.) et saep.—
B In Plaut. and Ter., knowing , cunning , shrewd , subtle : malum, callidum, doctum, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 35; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 43; id. Most. 1, 3, 122; 5, 1, 24 et saep.; Ter. Hec. 203; id. Eun. 791; cf. also, dolus, Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 69; id. Ps. 1, 5, 70 al.— docte , adv.
1 Learnedly , skilfully (very rare; not in Cic.).— Comp. , Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 33; Mart. 7, 46.— Sup. , Sall. J. 95, 3.—
2 Cunningly , shrewdly , cleverly : docte et sapienter dicis, Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 23: docte tibi illam perdoctam dabo, id. Mil. 2, 2, 103; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 43: docte sapere, id. Mil. 3, 1, 162; id. Most. 5, 1, 21 et saep.— Comp. , Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 99.