inter-cĭpĭo, cēpi, ceptum, 3, v. a. [capio], lit., to take away between, i. e. to seize on the passage before arrival at the destined place, to intercept.
I Lit.: tun redimes me, si me hostes interceperint? Plaut. As. 1, 1, 93: venenum, to take the poison intended for another , Cic. Clu. 60: litteras, id. Att. 1, 13, 2; cf.: litterae interceptae, id. Q. Fr. 3, 9, 3; id. Att. 10, 8; Cassiod. ap. Cic. Fam. 12, 12, 1; Curt. 4, 10, 6: epistulam, id. 6, 9, 13: magnum numerum jumentorum atque hominum, Caes. B. C. 1, 55: commeatus, Liv. 36, 3: aliquis ab suis interceptus, cut off , id. 29, 9: hostes discretos, Tac. H. 4, 75: in sublime jactari sagoque intercipi ( be held fast ) ne tellurem attingat, Plin. 29, 3, 12, § 52: interceptae e publico pecuniae, Tac. A. 4, 45: terga caput tangunt, colla intercepta videntur, to be wanting , Ov. M. 6, 379: quam (hastam) medius Rhoeteus intercipit, comes in the way of , i. e. is struck or killed by , Verg. A. 10, 402.—
II Transf.
A To interrupt , hinder , cut off , preoccupy , preclude : medium iter, Liv. 25, 39, 2 (al. intersaepto): opportuna loca, id. 9, 43, 3: hostiles ingressus, Tac. A. 15, 3: medios sermones, Quint. 6, 4, 11: pedestre iter, Curt. 4, 2, 9: usum aurium intercipiente fremitu, id. 4, 13, 38.—
B To take away , rob , steal : aliquid ab aliquo, Liv. 3, 71: aliquid alicui, Ov. P. 4, 7, 25; Plin. Pan. 75: veram laudem, Phaedr. 4, 12, 2: commentarios, quorum tamen pars maxima intercepta dicitur, copied from other sources , Suet. Gram. 3.—
C Of death, to snatch away , carry off : si me fata intercepissent, Quint. prooem. 1, 6: apes saepe morbis intercipiuntur, Col. 9, 3: rex mortalitate interceptus, Plin. Ep. 10, 50; 6, 25, 4: interceptus veneno, Tac. Agr. 43; id. A. 3, 12; Suet. Caes. 20 fin. : scelere Pisonis, Tac. A. 2, 71: a manu gladiatorum, id. Aug. 14 fin. : ceterum interceptus quoque magnum sibi vindicat locum, Quint. 10, 1, 121: neque ob aliud interceptus, quam, etc., Tac. A. 2, 82: Theophilum atrox interceperat casus, Amm. 14, 7, 8.