Lewis & Short

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căvĕo, cāvi, cautum, (2d pers. sing. scanned cavĕs, Ter. Ad. 2, 1, 19; imper. cavĕ, Plaut. As. 2, 4, 61; id. Capt. 2, 3, 71; id. Most. 1, 4, 13 et saep.: Cat. 50, 19; Hor. S. 2, 3, 38; Prop. 1, 7, 25; v. Neue, Formenl. 2, p. 435; old sup. CAVĬTVM, C. I. L. 1, 200, 6 sq.), 3, v. n. and a. [root SKOF- or KOF-, to be wary; whence Gr. θυοσκόος, ἀκούω, etc.; Lat. causa, cura; cf. also Germ. scheuen; Engl. shy], to be on one’s guard, either for one’s self or (more rarely) for another; hence,

  1. I. In gen., with and without sibi, to be on one’s guard, to take care, take heed, beware, guard against, avoid, = φυλάσσομαι, and the Fr. se garder, prendre garde, etc.; constr., absol., with ub, and in a course of action with ne or ut (also ellipt. with the simple subj.); or, as in Greek, with acc. (= φυλάσσομαί τι); hence also pass. and with inf., and once with cum.
    1. A. Absol.: qui consulte, docte, atque astute cavet, Plaut. Rud. 4, 7, 14: faciet, nisi caveo, Ter. Heaut. 4, 4, 8: ego cavebo, id. Ad. 4, 2, 12; 1, 1, 45: erunt (molesti) nisi cavetis. Cautum est, inquit, Cic. Ac. 2, 29, 93; Quint. 8, 3, 47: cum animum attendisset ad cavendum, Nep. Alcib. 5, 2; Suet. Claud. 37: metues, doctusque cavebis, Hor. S. 2, 7, 68.
      Esp. freq. in the warning cave, look out! be careful! Ter. And. 1, 2, 34; id. Phorm. 2, 3, 51; Hor. C. 1, 14, 16; Ov. M. 2, 89.
    2. B. With ab and abl.: eo mi abs te caveo cautius, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 42; id. Ps. 1, 5, 59; 4, 7, 128: si abs te modo uno caveo, id. Most. 3, 3, 24; Ter. Eun. 5, 2, 44: sibi ab eo, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 87: navis Aps quă cavendum nobis sane censeo, id. Men. 2, 2, 70: pater a me petiit Ut mihi caverem a Pseudolo servo suo, id. Ps. 3, 2, 108: a crasso infortunio, id. Rud. 3, 5, 53: ille Pompeium monebat, ut meam domum metueret, atque a me ipso caveret, Cic. Sest. 64, 133: caveo ab homine impuro, id. Phil. 12, 10, 25: a Cassio, Suet. Calig. 57: a veneno, Cic. Fin. 5, 22, 64: ab insidiis, Sall. J. 108, 2: monitum ut sibi ab insidiis Rufini caveret, App. Mag. 87, p. 329, 16; id. M. 2, p. 117, 3.
      1. 2. With the simple abl.: caveo malo, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 39: infortunio, id. Rud. 3, 5, 48: id. Cas. 2, 6, 59; id. Men. 1, 2, 13; id. Pers. 3, 1, 41: ipsus sibi cavit loco, i. e. got out of the way, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 12.
      2. 3. With cum (rare): Hercle, mihi tecum cavendum est, with you, I must look out for myself, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 21.
      3. 4. With adversus, Quint. 9, 1, 20.
    3. C. Followed by a final clause.
      1. 1. With ne, to take heed that … not, to be on one’s guard lest: qui cavet ne decipiatur, vix cavet; cum etiam cavet, etiam cum cavisse ratus est, saepe is cautor captus est, Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 5 and 6: caves, ne videat, etc., Ter. Heaut. 2, 2, 6: ego me scio cavisse, ne ulla merito contumelia Fieri a nobis posset, id. Hec. 3, 5, 20; Afran. ap. Non. p. 111, 14; Lucr. 4, 1141: cavete, judices, ne novaproscriptio instaurata esse videatur, Cic. Rosc. Am. 53, 153; id. Div. 2, 40, 84; id. Fam. 3, 12, 4; 11, 21, 4; Sall. J. 55, 3; Suet. Tib. 37: cave, ne, Cat. 61, 152; Hor. C. 3, 7, 24; id. S. 2, 3, 177; id. Ep. 1, 6, 32; 1, 13, 19; Ov. M. 2, 89; 10, 685: cave sis, ne, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 215: caveto ne, Cato, R. R. 5, 6: caveas, ne, Hor. S. 2, 1, 80: caveant, ne, id. A. P. 244: cavendum est, ne, Cic. Off. 1, 39, 140; Quint. 4, 3, 8; 12, 11, 2; Suet. Tib. 67; Quint. 9, 4, 23; 5, 11, 27.
      2. 2. With ut ne (rare): quod ut ne accidat cavendum est, Cic. Lael. 26, 99.
      3. 3. With a simple subj.; so only imper.: cave or cavete (cf. age), beware of, take care not, etc.: cave geras, Plaut. Capt. 2, 3, 79: dixeris, Ter. Ad. 3, 4, 12: faxis cave, id. And. 4, 4, 14; id. Heaut. 1, 2, 13; Hor. S. 2, 3, 38: sis, Ter. Eun. 4, 7, 29: contingas, Lucr. 2, 755: despuas, Cat. 50, 19: ignoscas, Cic. Lig. 5, 14: existimes, id. Fam. 9, 24, 4: putes, id. ib. 10, 12, 1 al.
        Rarely with 1st pers.: cave posthac, si me amas, umquam istuc verbum ex te audiam, Ter. Heaut. 5, 4, 8; cf. id. ib. 5, 4, 9.
        With 3d pers.: resciscat quisquam, Ter. Phorm. 5, 1, 37: te fratrum misereatur, Cic. Lig. 5, 14: roget te, Hor. S. 2, 5, 75: cave quisquam flocci fecerit, Plaut. Men. 5, 7, 5: armis concurrant arma cavete, Verg. A. 11, 293.
        And like age, cave with a verb in plur.: cave dirumpatis, Plaut. Poen. prol. 117.
      4. 4. With ut, to take care that: cauto opu’st, Ut sobrie hoc agatur, Plaut. Capt. 2, 1, 29; cf. D. 2, infra: tertium est, ut caveamus, ut ea, quae, etc., Cic. Off. 1, 39, 141: quaero quid sit, quodtam accurate caveat et sanciat, ut heredes sui dent, etc., id. Fin. 2, 31, 101: caverat sibi ille adulter omnium ut suorum scelerum socium te adjutoremque praebeas, id. Pis. 12, 28; Liv. 3, 10, 14; Plin. Pan. 39, 1: cavebitur ut, etc., Col. 2, 8, 3; cf. under II. A.
        Very rarely with ut omitted, take care to, be sure to (late Lat.): sed heus tucave regrediare cenā maturius, App. M. 2, p. 122, 32; 2, p. 124, 35.
    4. D. As act.
      1. 1. With acc. of pers. or thing against which warning is given or beed taken, to guard against, to be aware of, to beware of, etc.: profecto quid nunc primum caveam, nescio, Plaut. Ps. 3, 2, 104: tu, quod cavere possis, stultum admittere’st, Ter. Eun. 4, 6, 23; Lucil. ap. Non. p. 437, 23: caveamus fulminis ictum, Lucr. 6, 406: cave canem, Varr. ap. Non. p. 153, 1; Inscr. Orell. 4320; v. canis: interventum alicujus, Cic. Att. 16, 11, 1: omnia, id. Fam. 11, 21, 4: me, id. Dom. 11, 28: vallum caecum fossasque, Caes. B. C. 1, 28: quam sit bellum cavere malum, Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 247: vim atque opes, Tac. A. 11, 1; cf. Suet. Tib. 72: male praecinctum puerum, id. Caes. 456: periculum, id. ib. 81; id. Galb. 19: insidias, id. Caes. 86; Tac. A. 13, 13: exitum, Suet. Tib. 83: annum, id. Ner. 40: maculas, Hor. A. P. 353: jurgia, Ov. A. A. 1, 591: hunc tu caveto, Hor. S. 1, 4, 85: proditorem, Quint. 7, 1, 30: hoc caverat mens provida Reguli, had prevented, Hor. C. 3, 5, 13: cave quicquam, be a little careful, Plaut. Am. 2, 1, 61.
      2. 2. Pass.: quid cavendum tibi censere, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 437, 22: cavenda est etiam gloriae cupiditas, Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68: cetera, quae quidem consilio provideri poterunt, cavebuntur, id. Att. 10, 16, 2; Quint. 8, 2, 2; 9, 4, 143; 11, 3, 27 (cf. id. 6, 5, 2): in hoc pestifero bello cavendo, Cic. Fam. 4, 3, 1: quod multis rationibus caveri potest, id. Off. 2, 24, 84; Sall. J. 67, 2: prius quod cautum oportuit, Postquam comedit rem, post rationem putat, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 14: ego tibi cautum volo, id. Pers. 3, 1, 41: satis cautum tibi ad defensionem fore, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 35, § 88: quid quisque vitet, nunquam homini satis Cautum est, Hor. C. 2, 13, 14: id modo simul orant ac monent, ut ipsis ab invidiā caveatur, Liv. 3, 52, 11; cf. B. 1. supra: cauto opus est, care must be taken, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 64; id. Most. 4, 2, 21; id. Merc. 2, 3, 133.
      3. 3. With inf.: in quibus cave vereri ( = noli), Cic. Att. 3, 17, 3: caveret id petere a populo Romano, quod, etc., Sall. J. 64, 2: caveto laedere, Cat. 50, 21: occursare capro caveto, Verg. E. 9, 25: commisisse cavet, quod, etc., Hor. A. P. 168: cave Spem festinando praecipitare meam, Ov. P. 3, 1, 139: ut pedes omnino caveant tinguere, Plin. 8, 42, 68, § 169.
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. Law t. t., to take care for, provide, order something, legally, or (of private relations) to order, decree, dispose of in writing, by will, to stipulate, etc.: cum ita caverent, si, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 11, § 31: duae sunt praeterea leges de sepulcris, quarum altera privatorum aedificiis, altera ipsis sepulcris cavet, id. Leg. 2, 24, 61: cautum est in Scipionis legibus ne plures essent, etc., id. Verr. 2, 2, 50, § 123: cautum est lege XII. Tab., ut, etc., Plin. 16, 5, 6, § 15: cavebatur ut, etc., Suet. Aug. 1; so, id. ib. 65; id. Tib. 75: quae legibus cauta sunt, Quint. 5, 10, 13: aliā in lege cautum, Cic. Inv. 2, 41, 119: cautum est de numero, Suet. Caes. 10; cf. id. Aug. 40: heredi caveri, Cic. Inv. 2, 41, 120; cf. id. Fam. 7, 6, 2: si hoc, qui testamentum faciebat, cavere noluisset, id. Leg. 2, 21, 53: testamento cavere ut dies natalis ageretur, id. Fin. 2, 31, 103; cf. Suet. Aug. 59; id. Dom. 9; id. Tib. 50: sibi se privatim nihil caveremilitibus cavendum, quod apud patres semel plebi, iterum legionibus cautum sit ne fraudi secessio esset, to make conditions, stipulate, Liv. 7, 41, 2.
    2. B. In the lang. of business.
      1. 1. Cavere ab aliquo, to make one’s self secure, to procure bail or surety: tibi ego, Brute, non solvam, nisi prius a te cavero, amplius, etc., Cic. Brut. 5, 18; id. Verr. 2, 2, 23, § 55; cf. infra 2.; and cautio, II.
        So absol.: quid ita Flavio sibi cavere non venit in mentem, to take security, Cic. Rosc. Com. 12, 35.
      2. 2. To make one secure by bail or surety (either written or oral), to give security, to guarantee (cf. supra 1., and cautio; syn.: spondeo, cautionem praesto), Cic. Clu. 59, 162; cf. id. Verr. 2, 1, 54, § 142: pecunia, quam mihi Stichus Titii servus caverat, Dig. 46, 3, 89: cavere summam, ib. 29, 2, 97: chirographum, ib. 46, 3, 89: cautionem, ib. 46, 8, 6: civitates obsidibus de pecuniā cavent, Caes. B. G. 6, 2: quoniam de obsidibus inter se cavere non possent, id. ib. 7, 2; cf. Liv. 9, 42; 24, 2: cavere capite pro re aliquā, Plin. 34, 7, 17, § 38: jurejurando et chirographo de re, Suet. Calig. 12: cavere in duplum, id. Aug. 41; Tac. A. 6, 17.
        Rarely, cavere personae publicae, to give security before a public authority, Just. Inst. 1, 11, 3.
    3. C. In boxing, etc., to parry, to ward off a blow: adversos ictus cavere ac propulsare, Quint. 9, 1, 20; 5, 13, 54; cf. id. 9, 4, 8; 4, 2, 26.
    4. D. Cavere alicui.
      1. 1. To keep something from one, to protect, have a care for, make safe, take care of (cf.: prohibeo, defendo, provideo): scabiem pecori et jumentis caveto, Cato, R. R. 5, 7: melius ei cavere volo, quam ipse aliis solet, Cic. Fam. 3, 1, 3: mihi meisque, id. Top. 1, 4; id. Fam. 7, 6, 2: veterani, quibus hic ordo diligentissime caverat, id. Phil. 1, 2, 6; cf.: qui in Oratore tuo caves tibi per Brutum, Caes. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 4: quique aliis cavit, non cavet ipsi sibi, Ov. A. A. 1, 84: securitati, Suet. Tit. 6: concordiae publicae, Vell. 2, 48, 5; Petr. 133; Sil. 8, 493.
      2. 2. Affirmatively, to take care for, attend to a thing for a person, provide: Ba. Haec ita me orat sibi qui caveat aliquem ut hominem reperiamId, amabo te, huic caveas. Pi. Quid isti caveam? Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 8; 1, 1, 10; cf. I. C. 3. supra.
        Hence, cautus, a, um, P. a.
    1. A. Neutr., careful, circumspect, wary, cautious, provident (syn.: providus, prudens; class. in prose and poetry): ut cautus est, ubi nihil opu’st, Ter. Phorm. 4, 5, 3: parum cauti providique, Cic. Rosc. Am. 40, 117: cauti in periculis, id. Agr. 1, 9, 27: in scribendo, id. Q. Fr. 3, 9, 3: in credendo, id. Att. 10, 9, 3: in verbis serendis, Hor. A. P. 46: mensor, Ov. M. 1, 136: mariti, id. ib. 9, 751: lupus, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 50: vulpes, id. ib. 1, 1, 73 et saep.: quem certi homines monuerunt, ut cautior esset, Cic. Sest. 18, 41: dubium cautior an audentior, Suet. Caes. 58.
      Constr. with ad: ad praesentius malum cautiores, Liv. 24, 32, 3; Tib. 1, 9, 46; Quint. 6, 1, 20.
      With adversus: parum cautus adversus colloquii fraudem, Liv. 38, 25, 7.
      With erga: erga bona sua satis cautus, Curt. 10, 1, 40.
      With contra: contra quam (fortunam) non satis cauta mortalitas est, Curt. 8, 4, 24.
      With inf.: cautum dignos assumere, Hor. S. 1, 6, 51.
      With gen.: rei divinae, Macr. S. 1, 15.
        1. b. Transf. to inanimate things: consilium, Cic. Phil. 13, 3, 6; Tac. A. 11, 29: cautissima senectus, id. H. 2, 76: pectus, Prop. 3 (4), 5, 8: manus, Ov. F. 2, 336: terga, id. Tr. 1, 9, 20: arma, Sil. 14, 188: timor, Ov. Tr. 3, 4, 65.
          Subst.: cauta, ōrum, n.: legum, the provisions, Cassiod. Var. 5, 14.
    2. B. Pass. (acc. to I. B. 1., and II. B.), made safe, secured: cautos nominibus rectis expendere nummos, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 105: cautus ab incursu belli, Luc. 4, 409: quo mulieri esset res cautior (that her property might be made more secure), curavit, ut, etc., Cic. Caecin. 4, 11.
      1. 2. Trop., safe, secure (rare): in eam partem peccare, quae est cautior, Cic. Rosc. Am. 20, 56: (civitates) murorum firmitate cautissimae, Amm. 14, 8, 13.
        Adv.: cau-tē.
      1. 1. (Acc. to caveo, I. A.) Cautiously: caute et cogitate rem tractare, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 46: pedetentimque dicere, Cic. Clu. 42, 118: et cum judicio, Quint. 10, 2, 3 et saep.
        Comp., Cic. Deiot. 6, 18; Quint. 2, 15, 21; 9, 2, 76; Hor. C. 1, 8, 10 al.
        Sup., Cic. Att. 15, 26, 3.
      2. 2. (Acc. to caveo, I. B. 1.) With security, cautiously, Cic. Leg. 2, 21, 53: aliter nec caute nec jure fieri potest, id. Att. 15, 17, 1.