ex-quīro (in Plautus also exquaero, Bacch. 4, 4, 70 al.), sīvi, sītum, 3, v. a.,
I to search out diligently , to seek for; to make inquiry , to inquire , to ask (syn.: requiro, inquiro, investigo, perscrutor; freq. and class.): cum ex te causas divinationis exquirerem, Cic. Div. 2, 20, 46: a te nihildum certi exquiro, id. Att. 7, 12, 4; cf.: sed haec non nimis exquiro a Graecis, to ask of , expect from , id. ib. 7, 18, 3: ancillas dedo, quolibet cruciatu exquire, Ter. Hec. 773: exquisiturum se vel fidiculis de Caesonia sua, cur, etc., that he would search out even by the rack , Suet. Calig. 33: idem ego dicam, si me exquiret miles, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 91: secum et cum aliis, quid in eo peccatum sit, exquirunt, Cic. Off. 1, 41, 147: omissis auctoritatibus ipsa re ac ratione exquirere veritatem, id. de Imp. Pomp. 17, 51: sententias, Caes. B. G. 3, 3, 1: locum, Verg. G. 2, 266: sceleratum frigus, to find out , id. ib. 2, 256: verum, to search into , investigate , Cic. Div. 2, 12, 28; id. Off. 1, 36, 132: facta alicujus ad antiquae religionis rationem, id. Verr. 2, 4, 5, § 10; cf.: verba exquisita ad sonum, id. Or. 49, 163: rationes agitare et exquirere, id. Tusc. 5, 23, 66: itinere exquisito per Divitiacum, having ascertained the route , Caes. B. G. 1, 41, 4 et saep.: exquire de Blesamio, numquid ad regem contra dignitatem tuam scripserit, inquire respecting Blesamius , Cic. Deiot. 15, 42; cf.: de Varrone tam diligenter, id. Att. 13, 22, 1: eis senatus arbitratur singularis exquirendos honores, to devise , invent , id. Phil. 4, 2, 5.— Pass. impers. : istuc mihi exquisitum est, fuisse hunc, etc., I am accurately informed , Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 105: mi istuc primum exquisito est opus, I must first inquire respecting this , id. Am. 2, 2, 159; cf. id. ib. 2, 1, 81; A. and S. Gr. § 243, R. 1: consilia exquirentes, Cic. Fat. 1.
II —Hence, ex-quīsītus , a, um, P. a., carefully sought out , ripely considered , choice , excellent , exquisite : ipsi omnia, quorum negotium est, consulta ad nos et exquisita deferunt, Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 250: reconditae exquisitaeque sententiae, id. Brut. 79, 274: exquisitum judicium litterarum, id. Off. 1, 37, 133: exquisitis rationibus confirmare, id. Fin. 1, 9, 30: summis ingeniis exquisitaque doctrina philosophi, id. ib. 1, 1, 1: ars, id. de Or. 2, 41, 175: supplicia, id. Off. 3, 27, 100: magistri, id. Brut. 27, 104: munditia non odiosa neque exquisita nimis, too exquisite , id. Off. 1, 36, 130: nihil elegans, nihil exquisitum, id. Pis. 27, 67: epulae, Plin. 9, 35, 58, § 119. — Comp. : accuratius et exquisitius dicendi genus, id. Brut. 82, 283: verba, Quint. 11, 1, 33.— Sup. : laudantur exquisitissimis verbis legiones, Cic. Phil. 4, 3, 6: ad exquisitissimam consuetudinem Graecorum aliquem erudire, id. Rep. 2, 21: scientia exquisitissimae subtilitatis, Plin. 6, 33, 39, § 211.—
B Sought out , ascertained , made certain : satin istuc mihi exquisitumst? Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 105.—Hence, adv.: exquīsīte , carefully , accurately , particularly , excellently , exquisitely : cum de eo crimine accurate et exquisite disputavisset, Cic. Brut. 80, 277: eleganter atque exquisite dicere aliquid, Quint. 8, 2, 21.— Comp. , Cic. Brut. 93, 322; id. Tusc. 1, 48, 116; Quint. 12, 10, 75.— Sup. , Tiro Tull. ap. Gell. 10, 1, 7; Gell. 13, 7, 6.