ē-nītor, -nīsus or -nixus (enixus, of bodily exertion, esp. of childbirth: enisus, of labor for an end, esp. of mental effort, etc., v. infra), 3, v. dep. n. and act.
I Neutr.
A To force or work one's way out; or (more freq.) to force one's way up , to mount up , climb , ascend.
1 Lit.: per angustias aditus et ingruentem multitudinem, Tac. A. 16, 5; cf. Liv. 30, 24; 21, 36: dum cohortes in aequum eniterentur, Tac. A. 2, 80 fin. : adeo erat impedita vallis, ut in ascensu, nisi sublevati a suis, primi non facile eniterentur, Caes. B. C. 2, 34, 5; cf. Liv. 2, 65; Ov. M. 2, 64; Hor. C. 3, 3, 10: sol per ardua enisus, Plin. 18, 28, 68, § 264: in editiora, Tac. A. 1, 70: in verticem montis, Curt. 7, 11: enisae legiones in aperta, Tac. A. 1, 65: Vitellius in editiora enisus, id. ib. 1, 70.—Poet.: viribus eniti quarum assuescant (vites), by whose strength they may mount up , Verg. G. 2, 360: opibus fratris enisus, Tac. A. 14, 28.—
2 Trop.: nihil tam alte natura constituit, quo virtus non posset eniti, Curt. 7, 11, 10.—
B In gen., to exert one's self , to make an effort , to struggle , strive , sc. to accomplish something.—With ut : enitare, contendas, efficias, ut, etc., Cic. Fam. 13, 29, 5; so id. Lael. 16, 59; id. Off. 3, 10, 42; id. Rep. 2, 30; id. Att. 9, 15, 4: tantum celeritate navis enisus est, ut, etc., Caes. B. C. 2, 6, 4: ab adulescentia ita se enisum ut ab optimo quoque probaretur, Sall. J. 22, 2; Liv. 42, 46 et saep.—With ne : illud pugna et enitere, ne, etc., Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 3; so Sall. J. 10 fin.—Pass. impers. : ab eisdem summa ope enisum, ne tale decretum fieret, Sall. J. 25, 2.—Less commonly with inf.: corrigere mihi gnatum porro enitere, Ter. And. 596 Ruhnk.; so Sall. J. 14, 1; Hor. C. 3, 27, 47; id. A. P. 236.— Absol. : ego, quod potero, enitar sedulo, Ter. Heaut. 1038; Cic. Rep. 6, 24 (twice); Quint. 7, 10, 14 al.; cf.: pro aliquo, Ter. Phorm. 475: in aliqua re, Cic. de Or. 2, 72 fin. : ad dicendum, id. ib. 1, 4, 14: quod (acc. respect , v. A. and S. Gr. § 232, 3): quidem certe enitar, Cic. Att. 16, 6, 2; cf. id. ib. 13, 25 fin. , Orell. N. cr. —
II Act. (perh. not ante-Aug.).
A To bring forth , bear children or young: plures enisa partus decessit, Liv. 40, 4: enixa, with acc., Quint. 6 prooem. § 4; Tac. A. 2, 84; 14, 12; Suet. Tib. 4; Verg. A. 3, 391; 8, 44; Ov. M. 1, 670; 3, 344 et saep.— Absol. , Quint. 5, 13, 9; Tac. A. 5, 1; Suet. Calig. 25; id. Ner. 23 al.—
B To climb up , ascend a place: Pyrenaeum et Alpes et immensa viarum spatia aegre, Tac. H. 1, 23 fin. : aggerem, id. A. 2, 20: totum spatium, Col. 2, 2, 27.— Hence, ēnixus ( ēnīsus ), a, um, P. a.
A Strenuous , earnest , zealous : faciebat enixo studio, ne, etc., Liv. 42, 3; cf. opera (with prompta), Front. Strat. 2, 5, 30: virtus, Liv. 6, 24 fin. : voluntas, Dig. 31, 1, 77, § 23: enixo studio petere, Val. Max. 8, 15, ext. 1.— Comp. : opera, Sen. Ben. 6, 17; Plin. 9, 8, 9, § 32.—*
B Ēnixa, that has ceased to bear , Col. 6, 22, 1 Schneid.—Adv.
a ēnixe , strenuously , earnestly , zealously : expeto, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 26: causam suscipere, Cic. Sest. 16, 38; Caes. B. C. 3, 35 fin. ; Liv. 4, 26 fin. ; 41; 6, 40; 26, 47: petere, Sen. Ep. 95, 2 et saep.— Comp. , Liv. 29, 1; Suet. Tib. 50; id. Galb. 3: enixius orare, Greg. M. Dial. 4, 38 al.: animum imperatoris enixius deprecari, Amm. 15, 7; Ap. Met. 2, 6, 16.— Sup. , Suet. Caes. 5.—*
b ēnixim , the same, Sisenn. ap. Non. 107, 19.☞ ēnixus or ēnīsus, a, um, in pass. signif.
1 Born : quod in luco Martis enixi sunt, Just. 43, 2, 7.—
2 Impers. : ab eisdem illis regis fautoribus summa ope enisum, ne tale decretum fieret, striven to their utmost to prevent , etc., Sall. J. 25, 2.