vinco, vīci, victum, 3, v. a. and n. [perh. causat. of root ικ-; Gr. εἴκω, to yield; but cf. per-vicax; v. Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 106], to conquer, overcome, get the better of, defeat, subdue, vanquish, be victorious, etc. (syn.: supero, debello).
I Lit.
A In war or battle: jus esse belli, ut qui vicissent, iis, quos vicissent, quemadmodum vellent, imperarent, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 36: Carthaginienses navalibus pugnis, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 18, 55: Galliam bello, Caes. B. G. 1, 34 fin. : non virtute neque in acie vicisse Romanos, id. ib. 7, 29: id vi et virtute militum victum atque expugnatum oppidum est, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 36: vicimus vi feroces, id. ib. 1, 1, 82: aio te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 2, 56, 116 (Ann. v. 186 Vahl.): sicut fortis equus, spatio qui saepe supremo Vicit Olympia, Enn. ap. Cic. Sen. 5, 14 (Ann. v. 442 ib.): aliquando ut vincat, ludit assidue aleam, Poët. ap. Suet. Aug. 70 fin. : L. milia, to win at play , August. ib. 71.—
B In a lawsuit, etc., to be successful , to gain : vincere judicio, Cic. Rosc. Com. 18, 53: quem tu horum nil refelles, vincam scilicet, Ter. Phorm. 132; Hor. S. 1, 2, 134: causam suam, to win , Ov. H. 16, 76.— Pass. : factum est: ventum est: vincimur, Ter. Phorm. 135.—
C In other relations, to win , prevail , be successful , gain , overcome : sponsione, Cic. Quint. 27, 84: sponsionem, id. Caecin. 31, 91: vicit iter durum pietas, controlled , made easy , Verg. A. 6, 688; cf. Mart. 5, 23, 5; Claud. Cons. Hon. 46: labor omnia vicit, Verg. G. 1, 145; cf. difficultates, Auct. B. G. 8, 21: virgam, to win , Verg. A. 6, 148: vicit tamen in Senatu pars illa, quae, etc., Sall. J. 16, 1: factione respectuque rerum privatarum ... Appius vicit, Liv. 2, 30, 2: cum in senatu vicisset sententia, quae, etc., id. 2, 4: Othonem vincas volo, to outbid (in an auction), Cic. Att. 13, 29, 2; 13, 33, 2.—To defeat as a candidate for office: competitorem in suffragiis, Quint. 7, 1, 29.—
D Transf., of inanimate subjects.
1 To overcome , overwhelm , prevail over , etc.: (naves) neu turbine venti Vincantur, Verg. A. 9, 92: victa ratis, Ov. Tr. 1, 4, 12: flammam gurgitibus, id. Am. 3, 6, 42: noctem flammis, Verg. A. 1, 727: vincunt aequora navitae, prevail against , get the better of , Hor. C. 3, 24, 41: victaque concessit prisca moneta novae, Ov. F. 1, 222: quernaque glans victa est utiliore cibo, id. ib. 1, 676: corpora victa sopore, id. ib. 1, 422; cf.: blanda quies furtim victis obrepsit ocellis, id. ib. 3, 19: hi casses (linei) vel ferri aciem vincunt, Plin. 19, 1, 2, § 11: campum turbā vincente, overflowing , Sil. 6, 390.—
2 To outlast , survive : (aesculus) Multa virum volvens durando saecula vincit, Verg. G. 2, 295: vivendo mea fata, id. A. 11, 160.—
3 To surmount , scale : aëra (sagittae), Verg. G. 2, 123; cf.: montes ascensu, Claud. III. Cons. Hon. 46.—
4 To reduce , change , etc.; of cooking: nec viscera quisquam ... potest vincere flammā, Verg. G. 3, 560: cochleas undis calefactas et prope victas, Ser. Samm. Med. 319.—Of smelting ores: metallorum primitiae nullis fornacibus victae, Tac. H. 4, 53.—Of melting snow: nive, quae zephyro victa tepente fluit, Ov. F. 2, 220.— Of digestion: pervigilio quidem praecipue vincuntur cibi, Plin. 11, 53, 118, § 283.—
II Trop.
A In gen., to prevail , be superior; to convince , refute , constrain , overcome , etc.: argumentis vincit, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 267: naturam studio, Caes. B. G. 6, 43: vincit ipsa rerum publicarum natura saepe rationem, Cic. Rep. 2, 33, 57; cf. id. ib. 3, 8, 13: si subitam et fortuitam orationem commentatio et cogitatio facile vincit; hanc ipsam profecto assidua ac diligens scriptura superabit, id. de Or. 1, 33, 150: sapientis animus vincetur et expugnabitur? id. Par. 4, 1, 27: animum, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 29: non est consentaneum, qui invictum se a labore praestiterit, vinci a voluptate, Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68: labascit, victu'st, uno verbo, quam cito! Ter. Eun. 178: eludet, ubi te victum senserit, id. ib. 55: illius stultitiā victa ex urbe tu migres? id. Hec. 589: adulescentulus saepe eadem audiendo victus est, id. Heaut. 114: peccavi, fateor, vincor, id. ib. 644: victus patris precibus lacrimisque, Liv. 23, 8, 4: divūm pater victus tuis vocibus, Hor. C. 4, 6, 21: est qui vinci possit, id. S. 1, 9, 55: pietas Victa furore, id. C. 3, 27, 36: victus amore pudor, Ov. Am. 3, 10, 29: filia victa in lacrimas, Tac. A. 1, 57: victus animi respexit, Verg. G. 4, 491: triumphantes de lege victā et abrogatā, Liv. 34, 3, 9.— With ut : ergo negatum, vincor, ut credam miser, am constrained , compelled , Hor. Epod. 17, 27.—
B In partic.
1 To overmatch in some quality, to surpass , exceed , excel , = superare: stellarum globi terrae magnitudinem facile vincebant, Cic. Rep. 6, 16, 16: opinionem vicit omnium, quae, etc., id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 1, 1: exspectationem omnium, id. Verr. 2, 5, 5, § 11: eam (noctem) edepol etiam multo haec (nox) vicit longitudine, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 125: morum immanitate vastissimas vincit beluas, Cic. Rep. 2, 26, 48: quamlibet mulierculam Vincere mollitiā, Hor. Epod. 11, 24: odio qui posset vincere Regem, id. S. 1, 7, 6: scribere, quod Cassi opuscula vincat, id. Ep. 1, 4, 3; cf.: qualia (praecepta) vincunt Pythagoran, id. S. 2, 4, 2.—Poet. with inf.: vir nulli victus vel ponere castra vel junxisse ratem, etc., excelled by none in pitching a camp , etc., Sil. 5, 552; 6, 141.—
2 To prove triumphantly , show or demonstrate conclusively.
α With obj.-clause : quid nunc? vincon' argumentis te non esse Sosiam? Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 277: profecto ita esse, et praedico, vero vincam, id. Most. 1, 2, 12: vince deinde, bonum virum fuisse Oppianicum, Cic. Clu. 44, 124: dicendo vincere non postulo, Matius ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 28, 4: vincet enim stultos ratio insanire nepotes, Hor. S. 2, 3, 225.—
β With ut : nec vincet ratio hoc, tantundem ut peccet idemque Qui, etc., Hor. S. 1, 3, 115.—
γ Absol. : si doceo non ab Avito, vinco ab Oppianico, Cic. Clu. 23, 64.—
3 With respect to something disputed, to prevail , gain one's point , carry the day. So only in the expressions,
a Vicimus: cui si esse in urbe tuto licebit, vicimus, Cic. Att. 14, 20, 3: rumpantur iniqui. Vicimus: assiduas non tulit illa preces, Prop. 1, 8, 28: vicimus exclamat; mecum mea vota feruntur, Ov. M. 6, 513: vicimus et meus est, id. ib. 4, 356.—
b Vincite, viceris, vincerent, have it your own way , just as you like , carry your point , an expression of reluctant assent: vincite, si ita vultis, Caes. B. G. 5, 30; Ov. M. 8, 509: vincerent ac sibi haberent, dummodo scirent, Suet. Caes. 1 fin. : viceris, Ter. And. 892.—
4 To treat worthily , set forth with dignity (poet.): nec sum animi dubius, verbis ea vincere magnum Quam sit, Verg. G. 3, 289; cf.: vincere verbis, Lucr. 5, 733.