quaerĭto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [quaero], to seek, search, or look for earnestly (ante-class.).
I In gen.: hominem inter vivos quaeritamus mortuum, Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 15: defessus sum quaeritando, id. Am. 4, 1, 4; id. Cist. 4, 2, 19: aliquem mari terrāque, id. Poen. prol. 105: te ipsum, Ter. Ad. 266: hospitium ab aliquo, Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 77: lanā ac telā victum, to earn , Ter. And. 75: multis languoribus peresus essem te quaeritando, Cat. 58, 15.—Prov.: hujus sermo haud cinerem quaeritat, needs no ashes , i. e. no polishing , Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 10. —
II In partic., to ask , inquire , or demand earnestly , to wish to know exactly : quid tu id quaeritas? Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 22; id. Cist. 4, 2, 57; Ter. Eun. 523.