in-cautus, a, um, adj.
I Act. , incautious , heedless , improvident , inconsiderate (class.; syn. improvidus): ut in ipsum incautum atque etiam imparatum incideret, Caes. B. G. 6, 30, 2; Cic. Rosc. Am. 7, 20: Trebonius oppressus est ab hoste incautus, id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; id. Planc. 22, 53; id. N. D. 2, 1, 1: minime incautus patronus, id. Brut. 70, 246: ab secundis rebus incauti, Liv. 5, 44, 6: ad credendum pavor, id. 9, 12, 8. — Comp. : incautior fuissem, nisi, etc., Cic. Fam. 9, 24, 1: juventa, Liv. 30, 13, 14. — Sup. : incautissimus quia credulus, Sid. Ep. 8, 11. —
β With ab , or the gen.: a fraude, Liv. 40, 5, 5: futuri, Hor. S. 1, 1, 35: sui, Stat. Th. 6, 766. —
II Pass. , not guarded against or that cannot be guarded against , unforeseen , unexpected , uncertain , dangerous (not in ante-Aug. prose): scelus, Lucr. 6, 390; cf.: sic est incautum quidquid habetur amor, Prop. 2, 4, 14 (v. 24 M.): quod neglexeris incautum at que apertum habes, Liv. 25, 38, 14: iter hostibus, Tac. A. 1, 50: sub ictu, Sil. 2, 99: tenebrae, Luc. 5, 500.— Hence, adv.: in-cautē , incautiously , inconsiderately : adhuc stulte omnia et incaute, Cic. Att. 7, 10: atque inconsulte pugnare. Liv. 7, 15, 9.— Comp. : quod paulo incautius custodias in muro dispositas videbat, Caes. B. G. 7, 27, 1: sequi, id. B. C. 3, 24, 2: subit murum, Liv. 21, 7, 10: potes apparatius cenare apud multos: nusquam hilarius, simplicius, incautius, more at ease , Plin. Ep. 1, 15, 4.— Sup. : ut se ipsos incautissime proderent, Aug. de Mor. Manich. fin.