perspĭcĭo, spexi, spectum, 3, v. a., to look or see through, to look into, look at.
I Lit.: quo non modo non intrari, sed ne perspici quidem posset, Caes. B. G. 2, 17: eas (epistulas) ego oportet perspiciam, corrigam: tum denique edentur, to look through , read through , Cic. Att. 16, 5, 5: ut prae densitate arborum perspici caelum vix posset, to look at the sky , Liv. 40, 22.—
B Transf., to look closely at , to view , examine , inspect : domum, Cic. Fam. 5, 6, 3: villam, id. Mil. 20, 54: operis perspiciendi causā venire, Caes. B. G. 7, 44: minimis id granis constat, ut vix perspici quaedam possint, are scarcely visible , Plin. 17, 10, 14, § 71.—With a rel.-clause : perspicito prius, quid intus agatur, Plaut. Cas. 3, 6, 24.— Neutr. : in legem, Vulg. Jacob. 1, 25.—
II Trop., to perceive , note , observe , explore , prove , ascertain , etc.: res gestas funditus, Lucr. 1, 478: cum se ipse perspexerit, Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 59: sed tu perspice rem et pertenta, id. Q. Fr. 1, 4, 5; cf. id. de Or. 2, 78, 318: hoc, quaeso, perspicite atque cognoscite, id. Agr. 2, 35, 95: aliquid conjecturā, to guess , id. Imp. Pomp. 9, 26: cujus virtutem hostes, misericordiam victi, fidem ceteri perspexerunt, id. Verr. 2, 2, 2, § 4: nollem accidisset tempus, in quo perspicere posses, quanti te facerem, id. Fam. 3, 10, 2: quidam saepe in parvā pecuniā perspiciuntur, quam sint leves, id. Lael. 17, 63: perpaucos, quorum in se fidem perspexerat, relinquere in Galliā decrevit, Caes. B. G. 5, 5: videbitis et non perspicietis, Vulg. Act. 28, 26.—With object-clause : perspicio nihili meam vos facere gratiam, Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 68; cf. Cic. Fam. 1, 2, 2: perspiciebant enim in Hortensii sententiam multis partibus plures ituros, id. ib. 1, 2, 2.— Pass. with nom. and inf., Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 3.— Hence, perspectus , a, um, P. a., clearly perceived , evident , well known : ars rebus cognitis penitusque perspectis continetur, Cic. de Or. 1, 20, 92; cf. id. ib. 1, 23, 108; id. Fam. 1, 7, 2: virtus alicujus experta atque perspecta, id. Balb. 6, 16: benevolentia mihi perspectissima, id. Att. 3, 15.—Adv.: per-spectē , intelligently , sensibly : ut docte et perspecte sapit, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 162.