Lewis & Short

in-sĭnŭo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. and n.

  1. I. Act.
    1. A. Lit., to put, place, or thrust into the bosom (post-class.): sicine vacuus et otiosus insinuatis manibus ambulabis, with folded arms, App. M. 9, p. 219, 23: manum in sinum, Tert. Res. Carn. 28.
    2. B. To bring in by windings or turnings, to insinuate into; to cause a person or thing to get to a place by windings or turnings; and, in gen., to cause to arrive at or get to a place.
      1. 1. In gen.: ratem terris, to land, Avien. Arat. 312: suum aestum per saepta domorum, Lucr. 6, 860: Romani quacumque data intervalla essent, insinuabant ordines suos, pushed forward their files into the open spaces of the enemy, Liv. 44, 41.
        Poet.: et (tibi) omni tempore tam faciles insinuentur opes, come to you, Prop. 3, 9 (4, 8), 28.
      2. 2. Esp., with se, to wind one’s way into, to steal into; to insinuate or ingratiate one’s self: se inter equitum turmas, Caes. B. G. 4, 33: quā te insinuaveris, retro via repetenda, Liv. 9, 2, 8: cum (Romanus) insinuasset se inter corpus armaque, id. 7, 10, 10: qua se inter valles flumen insinuat, winds along, id. 32, 31, 1: Tigris Persico mari se insinuat, Curt. 5, 3.
    3. C. Trop., to make favorably known to, to introduce, recommend.
      1. 1. In gen.: Augusto insinuatus est, Suet. Gramm. 21; id. Calig. 10; id. Oth. 2: hoc est quod penitus illos animo Caesaris insinuavit, Plin. Pan. 62; cf.: vitam moresque feris mentibus, Aur. Vict. de Orig. Gent. 3, 3.
      2. 2. Esp., reflex. with se, etc.
          1. (α) With ad or in and acc.: his nos rebus insinuabimus ad causam, will make our way to, get to, Auct. Her. 1, 6, 10: se in antiquam philosophiam, Cic. Tusc. 5, 12, 34: se ad aliquam, Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 27: se in familiaritatem alicujus, Cic. Caecin. 5, 13: se in amicitiam cum aliquo, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 94; Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 68, § 157: se in forum, id. Phil. 5, 3, 8: se in familiarem usum, Liv. 40, 21, 11: se in eorum sermonem, Cic. Agr. 2, 5, 12.
          2. (β) Absol.: callidus ille ne se insinuet, studiose cavendum est, Cic. Lael. 26, 99: eadem qua te insinuaveris via retro repetenda est, Liv. 9, 2, 8: celeriter dato loco cum se insinuasset, Auct. B. Alex. 52, 2: praefecto regis se, Just. 5, 2, 5: plebi se, Liv. 3, 15, 2.
      3. 3. To introduce to, initiate into: adest tibi dies, quo per istas meas manus piissimis sacrorum arcanis insinueris, App. M. 11, p. 268.
      4. 4. To make known, publish (post-class.): voluntatem suam heredibus, Dig. 32, 1, 11, § 2; Rutil. Nam. 1, 590.
  2. II. Neutr., to wind or steal into, to make one’s way or get into, to penetrate, enter, reach, arrive at; constr. with in and acc. or dat.: inde in amicitiam insinuavit cum matre et mecum simul. Blanditiis, etc., Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 93: penitus insinuare in causam, to penetrate thoroughly into, to acquire a complete knowledge of, Cic. de Or. 2, 35, 149; cf.: ad causam, Auct. Her. 1, 6, 10: in ipsius consuetudinem insinuabo, Cic. Fam. 4, 13, 6: novus per pectora cunctis Insinuat pavor, Verg. A. 2, 229: Italiaeque urbes dextram insinuantis in undam, winding, reaching to, Manil. 4, 602: et blandiri suppliciter et subtiliter insinuare eis, a quibus, etc., i. e. to steal into favor with, etc., Cic. de Or. 1, 20, 90.