Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

ămo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. (amāsso = amavero, Plaut. Cas. 5, 4, 23; id. Curc. 4, 4, 22; id. Mil. 4, 2, 16; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 28 Müll.: amāsse = amavisse, Ter. Eun. 5, 1, 11: amantum = amantium, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 4; Lucr. 4, 1077; Ov. A. A. 1, 439) [cf. Sanscr. kam = to love; ἅμα = Sanscr. sam = Germ. sammt; Engl. same, Lat. similis; with the radical notion of likeness, union], to like, to love, ἐράω, φιλέω (both in the higher and the lower sense, opp. odisse; while diligere (ἀγαπῶ) designates esteem, regard; opp. neglegere or spernere; cf. Doed. Syn. IV. p. 97; in the high sense in the philos. writings and Epp. of Cicero; often in the low sense, esp. in the comic poets. In the Vulg. amo and amor are comparatively little used, prob. from their bad associations, amo being used 51 times and amor 20. Instead of these words, diligo, dilectio and caritas were used. Diligo (incl. dilectus) occurs 422 times, and dilectio and caritas 144 times in all; dilectio 43 and caritas 101 times).

  1. I. In gen.: quid autem est amare, nisi velle bonis aliquem adfici, quam maximis, etiamsi ad se ex iis nihil redeat, Cic. Fin. 2, 24: amare autem nihil aliud est, nisi eum ipsum diligere, quem ames, nullā indigentiā, nullā utilitate quaesitā, id. Am. 27, 100: videas corde amare (eos) inter se, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 60; Ter. Ad. 5, 3, 42: liberi amare patrem atque matrem videntur, Gell. 12, 1, 23: qui amat patrem aut matrem, Vulg. Matt. 6, 5: ipse Pater amat vos, h. l. used of God, ib. Joan. 16, 27: Cicerones pueri amant inter se, love each other, Cic. Att. 6, 1: magis te quam oculos nunc amo meos, Ter. Ad. 4, 5, 67: quem omnes amare meritissimo debemus, Cic. de Or. 1, 55, 234.
    So, amare aliquem ex animo, to love with all one’s heart, Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 5: unice patriam et cives, id. Cat. 3, 5: aliquem amore singulari, id. Fam. 15, 20: sicut mater unicum amat filium suum, Vulg. 2 Reg. 1, 26: dignus amari, Verg. E. 5, 89.
    Amare in ccntr. with diligere, as stronger, more affectionate: Clodius valde me diligit, vel, ut ἐμφατικώτερον dicam, valde me amat, Cic. ad Brut. 1, 1; id. Fam. 9, 14: eum a me non diligi solum, verum etiam amari, id. ib. 13, 47; id. Fragm. ap. Non. 421, 30 (Orell. IV. 2, p. 466); Plin. Ep. 3, 9.
    But diligere, as indicative of esteem, is more emph. than amare, which denotes an instinctive or affectionate love: non quo quemquam plus amem, aut plus diligam, Eo feci, sed, etc., Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 16: homo nobilis, qui a suis et amari et diligi vellet, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 23: te semper amavi dilexique, have loved and esteemed, id. Fam. 15, 7: diligis (ἀγαπᾷς) me plus his? Etiam, Domine, tu scis quia amo (φιλῶ) te, Vulg. Joan. 21, 15 sqq., ubi v. Alford, Gr. Test. al.
    Hence in asseverations: ita (sic) me dii (bene) ament or amabunt, so may the gods love me, by the love of the gods, most assuredly: ita me di amabunt, etc., Plaut. Poen. 1, 3, 30 (v. the pass. in its connection): ita me di ament, credo, Ter. And. 5, 4, 44: non, ita me di bene ament, id. Hec. 2, 1, 9: sic me di amabunt, ut, etc., id. Heaut. 3, 1, 54.
    Hence also ellipt.: ita me Juppiter! (sc. amet or amabit), Plaut. Poen. 1, 3, 31 (so in Engl. with different ellipsis, bless me! sc. God).
    And as a salutation: Me. Salvus atque fortunatus, Euclio, semper sies. Eu. Di te ament, Me gadore, the gods bless you! Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 6 al.
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. Amare se, of vain men, to be in love with, to be pleased with one’s self, also, to be selfish (used mostly by Cic.): quam se ipse amans sine rivali! Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 8: nisi nosmet ipsos valde amabimus, id. Off. 1, 9, 29; so id. Att. 4, 16 med.; id. Har. Resp. 9: homines se ipsos amantes, Vulg. 2 Tim. 3, 2.
    2. B. Of unlawful love, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 2, 30: ut videas eam medullitus me amare! id. Most. 1, 3, 86 et saep.: meum gnatum rumor est amare, Ter. And. 1, 2, 14; 1, 2, 20 al.: ibi primum insuevit exercitus populi Romani amare, potare, etc., Sall. C. 11, 6: quae (via) eo me solvat amantem, Verg. A. 4, 479: non aequo foedere amare, id. ib. 4, 520; Hor. S. 2, 3, 250 Heind.; Vulg. Jud. 16, 4; ib. 2 Reg. 13, 4 al.
    3. C. Trop., to love a thing, to like, to be fond of, to find pleasure in, delight in: nomen, orationem, vultum, incessum alicujus amare, Cic. Sest. 49, 105: amavi amorem tuum, id. Fam. 9, 16: Alexidis manum amabam, id. Att. 7, 2: amabat litteras, Nep. Att. 1, 2: ea, quae res secundae amant, lasciviā atque superbiā incessere, Sall. J. 41, 3: amare nemus et fugere urbem, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 77: amat bonus otia Daphnis, Verg. E. 5, 61: non omnes eadem mirantur amantque, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 58: mirā diversitate naturā, cum īdem homines sic ament inertiam et oderint quietem, Tac. G. 15: pax et quies tunc tantum amata, id. ib. 40: qui amant vinum et pinguia, Vulg. Prov. 21, 17: amant salutationes in foro, ib. Luc. 20, 46: amat Janua limen, loves to remain shut, i. e. is constantly closed, Hor. C. 1, 25, 3; so, Nilus amet alveum suum, keep to its bed, Plin. Pan. 31, 4 al.
      With inf. as object: hic ames dici pater atque princeps, Hor. C. 1, 2, 50: amant in synagogis orare, Vulg. Matt. 6, 5.
    4. D. Amare aliquem de or in aliquā re, quod, etc., to like one for something, to be obliged to one for something, to be under obligation, be thankful.
        1. a. With de: ecquid nos amas De fidicinā istac? Ter. Eun. 3, 2, 3: de raudusculo multum te amo, Cic. Att. 7, 2, 7.
        2. b. With in: et in Attilii negotio te amavi, Cic. Fam. 13, 62.
        3. c. With quod: te multum amamus, quod, etc., Cic. Att. 1, 3: amas me, quod te non vidi? Domit. Afer. ap. Quint. 6, 3, 93.
          Also without prep. or quod: soror, parce, amabo. Anter. Quiesco. Adelph. Ergo amo te, I like you, am much obliged to you, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 40: bene facis: Merito te amo, Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 23.
          Hence in the eilipt. lang. of conversation, amabo or amabo te (never amabo vos, etc.), lit. I shall like you (if you say, do, etc., that for me).
          Hence in entreaties = oro, quaeso, precor (with ut or ne foll.), be so good, I pray, entreat you (in Plaut. and Ter. very freq.; in the latter always amabo without te; in Cic. only in Epistt.): quis hic, amabo, est, qui, etc., Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 26: qui, amabo? id. Bacch. 1, 1, 19: quid, amabo, obticuisti? id. ib. 1, 1, 28 et saep.: id, amabo, adjuta me, Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 70: id agite, amabo, id. ib. 1, 2, 50 al.; Cat. 32, 1: id, amabo te, huic caveas, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 10; id. Men. 4, 3, 4: amabo te, advola, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 10: cura, amabo te, Ciceronem nostrum, id. Att. 2, 2.
          With ut or ne foll.: scin quid te amabo ut facias? Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 71; 3, 3, 1: amabo, ut illuc transeas, Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 31: amabo te, ne improbitati meae assignes, etc., Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 4.
    5. E. With inf., to do a thing willingly, to be wont or accustomed to (cf. φιλέω; mostly poet. or in post-Aug. prose): clamore, vultu, saepe impetu, atque aliis omnibus, quae ira fieri amat, delights to have done, is wont to do, Sall. J. 34, 1; cf. Quint. 9, 3, 17: aurum per medios ire satellites Et perrumpere amat saxa potentius Ictu fulmineo, Hor. C. 3, 16, 9; so id. ib. 2, 3, 9; id. Epod. 8, 15; Plin. 13, 4, 7, § 28; Tac. A. 4, 9.
      Hence, ămans, antis, P. a., with gen. or absol.
    1. A. Fond, loving, kind, feeling kindly to, benevolent, pleasing; and subst., a friend, patron: continentem, amantem uxoris maxime, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 7: veterem amicum suum studiosum, amantem, observantem sui, Cic. Rab. Post. 16: homines amantes tui, id. Fam. 9, 6: cives amantes patriae, id. Att. 9, 19; id. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 5: amans cruoris, Ov. P. 2, 9, 46: ad nos amantissimos tui veni, Cic. Fam. 16, 7: Amantissimus Domini habitabit in eo, Vulg. Deut. 33, 12; ib. Amos, 5, 11: amantissima eorum non proderunt iis, their most pleasant things, ib. Isa. 44, 9; so ib. Os. 9, 16.
    2. B. Trop., of things, friendly, affectionate: nomen amantius indulgentiusque, Cic. Clu. 5: lenissimis et amantissimis verbis utens, id. Fam. 5, 15 al.
    3. C. Sometimes in a bad sense = amator or amica, a paramour; cf. Wolf ad Cic. Tusc. 4, 12, 27; cf. Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 38: quis fallere possit amantem, Verg. A. 4, 296; 4, 429: amantium irae amoris integratio est, Ter. And. 3, 3, 23: oblitos famae melioris amantīs, Verg. A. 4, 221: perjuria amantūm, Ov. A. A. 1, 633.
      Hence, ămanter, adv., lovingly, affectionately, Cic. Fam. 5, 19; id. Att. 2, 4.
      Comp., Tac. A. 1, 43.
      Sup., Cic. Am. 1.

ămor (old form ămŏs, like honos, labos, colos, etc., Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 2; v. Neue, Formenl. I. p. 170), ōris, m. [amo], love (to friends, parents, etc.; and also in a low sense; hence in gen., like amo, while caritas, like diligere, is esteem, regard, etc.; hence amor is used also of brutes, but caritas only of men; v amo init.): Amicitiae caritate et amore cernuntur. Nam cum deorum, tum parentum, patriaeque cultus, eorumque hominum, qui aut sapientiā aut opibus excellunt, ad caritatem referri solet. Conjuges autem et liberi et fratres et alii, quos usus familiaritasque conjunxit, quamquam etiam caritate ipsā, tamen amore maxime continentur, Cic. Part. Or. 25, 88; cf. id. ib. 16, 56; Doed. Syn. IV. p. 100 (but amor is related to benevolentia as the cause to the effect, since benevolentia designates only an external, friendly treatment; but amor a real, internal love): amor, ex quo amicitia nominata, princeps est ad benevolentiam conjungendam, Cic. Am. 8, 26: nihil enim est, quod studio et benevolentiā, vel amore potius effici non possit, id. Fam. 3, 9; cf. Doed. Syn. IV. p. 105 (very freq. in all periods, and in every kind of style; in a low sense most freq. in the com. and eleg. poets, Petron., and similar authors; v. amo init.); constr. with in, erga, or the obj. gen. (with the gen. of the gerund, never in Cic., and perh. in no prose writer; but it is so found in Lucr., Ovid, and Hor.).

  1. I. Lit.: ab his initiis noster in te amor profectus, Cic. Fam. 13, 29: si quid in te residet amoris erga me, id. ib. 5, 5: amori nostro (i. e. quo a te amamur) plusculum etiam, quam concedit veritas, largiare, id. ib. 5, 12; Postquam primus amor deceptam morte fefellit, Verg. A. 4, 17: amabilis super amorem mulierum, Vulg. 2 Reg. 1, 26: in paternitatis amore, brotherly love (Gr. φιλαδελφία), ib. 1 Pet. 1, 22; ib. 2 Pet. 1, 7 bis: amplecti aliquem amore, Cic. Att. 7, 1: habere amorem erga aliquem, id. ib. 9, 14: respondere amori amore, id. ib. 15, 21: conciliare amorem alicui, id. de Or. 2, 51 et saep.
    Of sexual love, whether lawful or unlawful: Medea amore saevo saucia, Enn. Med. ap. Auct. ad Her. 2, 22 (as a transl. of the Gr. ἔρωτι θυμὸν ἐκπλαγεῖσ’ Ἰάσονος, Eur. Med. prol. 8): videbantur illi (septem anni) pauci dies prae amoris magnitudine, Vulg. Gen. 29, 20; 29, 30: is amore projecticiam illam deperit, Plaut. Cist. 1, 3, 43: amore perdita est, id. Mil. 4, 6, 38: in amore haec omnia sunt vitia, Ter. Eun. 1, 1, 14: aeterno devictus volnere amoris, Lucr. 1, 35: qui vitat amorem, id. 4, 1069: Nec te noster amor tenet? Verg. A. 4, 307; 4, 395; Ov. M. 4, 256: ne sit ancillae tibi amor pudori, Hor. C. 2, 4, 1: meretricis amore Sollicitus, id. S. 2, 3, 252: ut majus esset odium amore, quo ante dilexerat, Vulg. 2 Reg. 13, 15: ambo vulnerati amore ejus, ib. Dan. 13, 10 al.
    In both significations also in the plur.: amores hominum in te, Cic. Att. 5, 10: amores sancti, id. Fin. 3, 20, 68; cf. id. Tusc. 4, 34, 72: Ille meos, primus qui me sibi junxit, amores Abstulit, Verg. A. 4, 28: est is mihi in amoribus, i. e. valde a me amatur, Cic. Fam. 7, 32: meos amores eloquar, Plaut. Merc. 1, 1, 2: meretricii amores, Ter. And. 5, 4, 10: quem amore venerio dilexerat, Nep. Paus. 4, 1: amores et hae deliciae, quae vocantur, Cic. Cael. 19: quando Dido tantos rumpi non speret amores, Verg. A. 4, 292: Tabuit ex illo dementer amoribus usa, Ov. M. 4, 259: insanos fateamur amores, id. ib. 9, 519 et saep.; Hor. C. 3, 21, 3 et saep.
  2. II. Meton.
    1. A. For the beloved object itself: amores et deliciae tuae, Cic. Div. 1, 36; Pompeius, nostri amores, id. Att. 2, 19; 16, 6; and ironic.: sed redeo ad amores deliciasque nostras, L. Antonium, id. Phil. 6, 5; Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 79; Ov. M. 1, 617; 4, 137 al.
    2. B. Personified: Amor, the god of love, Love, Cupid, Ἔρως: O praeclaram emendatricem vitae poëticam, quae Amorem flagitii et levitatis auctorem in concilio deorum collocandum putet, Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69: Deum esse Amorem turpis et vitio favens finxit libido, Sen. Phaedr. 195: Illum conjugem, quem Amor dederat, qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, vet. poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69: Omnia vincit Amor, et nos cedamus Amori, Verg. E. 10, 69: Improbe Amor, quid non mortalia corpora cogis? id. A. 4, 412: Paret Amor dictis carae genetricis, id. ib. 1, 689: Amor non talia curat, id. E. 10, 28: nec quid Amor curat, Ov. M. 1, 480: Amori dare ludum, Hor. C. 3, 12, 1; Prop. 1, 2, 8: non tot sagittis, Spicula quot nostro pectore fixit Amor, id. 3, 4, 2: pharetratus, Ov. Tr. 5, 1, 22: Notaque purpureus tela resumit Amor, id. Am. 2, 9, 34: movit Amor gemmatas aureus alas, id. R. Am. 39 et saep.
      Also in the plur., Cupids, Loves: corpora nudorum Amorum, Ov. M. 10, 516: lascivi Amores, Hor. C. 2, 11, 7: parvi Amores, Prop. 3, 1, 11: Amores volucres, Ov. Ep. 16, 201: pharetrati, id. R. Am. 519 al.
    3. C. A strong, passionate longing for something, desire, lust: consulatūs amor, Cic. Sull. 26, 73: gloriae, id. Arch. 11, 28: amicitiae, id. Tusc. 4, 33, 70: lactis, Verg. G. 3, 394: vini, Liv. 9, 18: auri, Verg. A. 1, 349: argenti, Hor. S. 2, 3, 78: nummi, Juv. 14, 138: laudum, Verg. A. 9, 197 et saep.: cognitionis, Cic. Fin. 4, 7, 18.
      With gerund: edundi, Lucr. 4, 870: habendi, Ov. M. 1, 131, and Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 85: scribendi, id. S. 2, 1, 10.
      Poet., with inf.: si tantus amor casus cognoscere nostros, Verg. A. 2, 10: seu rore pudico Castaliae flavos amor est tibi mergere crines, Stat. Th. 1, 698.
    4. * D. Poet., a love-charm, philtre: quaeritur et nascentis equi de fronte revolsus Et matri praereptus amor, Verg. A. 4, 516; upon which passage Serv. remarks: Secundum Plinium, qui dicit in Naturali Historiā (8, 42, 66, § 163 sqq.) pullos equinos habere in fronte quandam carnem, quam eis statim natis adimit mater; quam si quis forte praeripuerit, odit pullum et lac ei denegat; v. hippomanes.