in-vĕnĭo, vēni, ventum, 4, v. a. (fut. invenibit for inveniet, Pompon. ap. Non. p. 479, 28), lit., to come or light upon a thing; to find, meet with (cf.: reperio, offendo).
I Lit.: neque domi, neque in urbe invenio quemquam, qui illum viderit, Plaut. Am. 4, 1, 2; id. Aul. 4, 2, 13; cf. id. Stich. 1, 2, 53: in agro populabundum hostem, Liv. 3, 4, 7: Scipio mortuus in cubiculo inventus est, id. Epit. 59 fin. : naves reliquas paratas ad navigandum invenit, Caes. B. G. 5, 5: tolerabiles oratores, Cic. de Or. 1, 2: scis, Pamphilam meam inventam civem? is found to be a citizen’s daughter , Ter. Eun. 1036. — Sup. : pleraque inventu rara ac difficilia, Plin. 28, 1, 1, § 1; so Gell. 17, 12, 2. —
II Trop.
A To find out , to invent , effect : quandam fallaciam, Ter. Heaut. 596: perniciem aliis, ac postremo sibi, Tac. A. 1, 74.—Of an orator's faculty of invention: tanta in eo inveniendi copia et eloquendi facultas, Quint. 10, 1, 69: multa divinitus a majoribus nostris inventa atque instituta sunt, Auct. Or. pro Dom. 1.—
B To find out , discover , ascertain , learn : inveniebat ex captivis, Sabim flumen ab suis castris non amplius milia passuum decem abesse, Caes. B. G. 2, 16: conjurationem, Cic. Cat. 3, 7: apud auctores invenio eodem anno descisse Antiates, Liv. 3, 23; 9, 45—
C To find out , invent , devise , contrive how to do a thing: ille quomodo crimen commenticium confirmaret, non inveniebat, Cic. Rosc. Am. 15, 42: Venus inveniet puero succumbere furtim, i. e. will find out a way , Tib. 1 (8), 9, 35.—
D To acquire , get , earn : ut facillume Sine invidia laudem invenias, Ter. And. 66: qui primus hoc cognomen invenit, Cic. Fin. 1, 7, 23: ex quo illi gloria opesque inventae, Sall. J. 70, 2: laudem, Just. 3, 7, 10; cf.: gratiam apud aliquem, Vulg. Luc. 1, 30.—
E With se.
1 To show itself , appear : postquam se dolor invenit, Ov. H. 15, 113.—
2 To be at home in any thing: minus se inveniunt, i. e. are perplexed , Sen. Ben. 5, 12, 6: nec medici se inveniunt, Petr. 47.