pollĭcĕor, ĭtus (act. form polliceres, Varr. Sat. Menip. 8, 5), 2, v. dep. a. and n. [from an old prep. por or port (= Gr. πορτί, προτί, or πρός; cf. pro) and liceor].
I To hold forth , offer , promise any thing (freq. and class.; syn.: promitto, spondeo): neque minus prolixe de tuā voluntate promisi, quam eram solitus de meā polliceri, Cic. Fam. 7, 5, 1; id. Planc. 42, 101; cf.: alicui studium, id. Fam. 5, 8, 4; cf.: mirandum in modum profitentur, offerunt se, pollicentur, id. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 5: id omne tibi polliceor ac defero, id. Imp. Pomp. 24, 67: pro certo polliceor hoc vobis atque confirmo me esse perfecturum, ut, etc., id. Agr. 2, 37, 100: non modo ut ponatur, verum etiam ut inviolata maneat pollicetur, Just. 9, 2, 12.—With subj. alone, Hirt. B. G. 8, 52, 4: alicui divitias, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132 (Trag. v. 359 Vahl.): hospitium et cenam, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 2, 8: plus pollicere quam ego a te postulo, id. Truc. 2, 4, 23.—With inf. pres. : modo Qui sum pollicitus ducere, Ter. And. 613; jusjurandum pollicitus est dare, Plaut. Most. 5, 1, 36: pollicentur obsides dare, Caes. B. C. 4, 21, 5; 6, 9, 7: benigne, Cic. Fam. 4, 13, 3: liberalissime, id. Att. 5, 13, 2.—Prov.: montes auri, to promise mountains of gold , i. e. boundless wealth , Ter. Phorm. 68; for which also: maria montesque, Sall. C. 23, 3.—
II Esp.
1 Of an orator, in opening his speech, to promise , announce : quaeso ut, quid pollicitus sim, diligenter memoriae mandetis, Cic. Quint. 10, 36: docui, quod primum pollicitus sum, causam omnino, cur postularet, non fuisse, etc., id. ib. 19, 60.—
2 Of purchasers, to bid , offer : at illic pollicitus est prior, Plaut. Merc. 2, 3, 102.—
3 Of auspices, to forebode , promise : id assuetae sanguine et praedā aves pollicebantur, Flor. 1, 1, 7.☞ Act. collat. form pollĭcĕo , ēre, to promise (ante-class.): ne dares, ne polliceres, Varr. ap. Non. 471, 13.—
2 polliceor, in a pass. signif.: ut aliis ob metum statuae polliceantur, Metell. Numid. ap. Prisc. p. 972 P.; Dig. 14, 1, 1: pollicita fides, Ov. F. 3, 366; Lact. Pasch. 60: pollicitus torus, Ov. H. 21, 140.—Hence, subst.: pollĭcĭ-tum , i, n., something promised , a promise , Ov. A. A. 1, 632: memores polliciti nostri, Col. 11, 3, 1.—In plur.: hanc tu pollicitis corrumpe, Ov. A. A. 1, 355: pollicitis captus, id. Am. 3, 7, 70; 2, 16, 48.