Lewis & Short

răpĭo, pŭi, ptum, 3 (old perf. subj. rapsit, Cic. Leg. 2, 9, 22; part. perf. fem. ex raptabus, Gell. ap. Charis. p. 39 P.), v. a. [root ἁρπ; Gr. ἅρπη, a bird of prey, ἁρπαγή, ἁρπάζω; Lat. rapidus, rapax, rapina, etc.; cf. Sanscr. lup-, lumpāmi, rumpo; Gr. λῦπή], to seize and carry off, to snatch, tear, drag, draw, or hurry away, = violenter sive celeriter capio (freq. and class.; in Cæs. not at all, and in Cic. mostly in the trop. signif.; cf.: ago, fero, traho, capio, sumo).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen., Plaut. Rud. 3, 6, 15; 30; 31: quo rapitis me? quo fertis me? id. Men. 5, 7, 10; cf. Verg. A. 6, 845; Ov. M. 9, 121: quo me cunque rapit tempestas? Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 15; cf. id. C. 3, 25, 1: sumasne pudenter an rapias, snatch, id. Ep. 1, 17, 45; cf. id. S. 1, 5, 76: hostes vivos rapere soleo ex acie: ex hoc nomen mihi est (sc. Harpax), Plaut. Ps. 2, 2, 60: te ex lustris uxor, id. As. 5, 2, 84: volucri spe et cogitatione rapi a domo, Cic. Rep. 2, 4, 7: ab aede rapuit funale, Ov. M. 12, 247: torrem ab aris, id. ib. 12, 271: deque sinu matris ridentem . . . Learchum . . . rapit, id. ib. 4, 516 (for which, simply sinu, id. ib. 13, 450): hastam, de vulnere, id. ib. 5, 137: telum, Verg. A. 10, 486: repagula de posti, Ov. M. 5, 120: (frondes) altā rapit arbore ventus, id. ib. 3, 730: vi atque ingratis … rapiam te domum, Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 40: aliquem sublimem domum, id. As. 5, 2, 18; cf.: sublimem, id. Mil. 5, 1; id. Men. 5, 7, 6; Ter. And. 5, 2, 20: commeatum in naves rapiunt, Liv. 41, 3: aliquem in jus, Plaut. Rud. 3, 6, 21; so, in jus, id. Poen. 5, 5, 56; Hor. S. 1, 9, 77; 2, 3, 72; cf.: in jus ad regem, Liv. 1, 26: in carcerem, Suet. Tib. 11; 61: aliquem ad cornuficem, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 156; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 37: ad praetorem, id. Aul. 4, 10, 30: ad supplicium ob facinus, Cic. de Or. 2, 59, 238: ad mortem, id. Verr. 2, 5, 52, § 138; id. Cat. 1, 10, 27: ad tortorem, id. Tusc. 5, 5, 13: ad poenam, Suet. Claud. 10; 37; id. Vit. 14: ad consulem, Liv. 10, 20: matres, virgines, pueros ad stuprum, id. 26, 13: teneram virginem ad virum, Cat. 61, 3 (cf.: rapi simulatur virgo ex gremio matris, aut, si ea non est, ex proximā necessitudine, cum ad virum traditur, quod videlicet ea res feliciter Romulo cessit, Fest. p. 289 Müll.): illum (sc. lembum) in praeceps prono rapit alveus amni, Verg. G. 1, 203: nec variis obsita frondibus Sub divum rapiam, drag into open day, Hor. C. 1, 18, 13.
      Poet.: Nasonis carmina rapti, i. e. torn from his home, borne far away, Ov. P. 4, 16, 1; cf. id. H. 13, 9; Stat. S. 3, 5, 6.
    2. B. With the idea of swiftness predominating: Turnus rapit Totam aciem in Teucros, Verg. A. 10, 308: rapit agmina ductor, Luc. 1, 228: agmina cursu, Sil. 7, 116: legiones, Plin. Pan. 14: curru rapi, Sil. 1, 134: quattuor hinc rapimur raedis, Hor. S. 1, 5, 86: Notus rapit biremes, Sil. 17, 276: carinas venti rapuere, Luc. 3, 46: rapit per aequora navem, hurries it away, Verg. A. 10, 660; cf.: ventis per aequora, Ov. M. 14, 470: missos currus, Hor. S. 1, 1, 114: pedes quo te rapiunt, id. C. 3, 11, 49: arma rapiat juventus, snatch up, Verg. A. 7, 340; so, arma, Ov. M. 2, 603: arma manu, Verg. A. 8, 220: bipennem dextrā, id. ib. 11, 651: cingula, id. ib. 9, 364.
      1. 2. With reflex. pron., to hasten, hurry, tear one’s self, etc.: ocius hinc te Ni rapis, Hor. S. 2, 7, 118; cf. Ov. Am. 3, 5, 29: se ad caedem optimi cujusque, Cic. Phil. 13, 8, 18.
    3. C. In partic.
      1. 1. To carry off by force; to seize, rob, ravish; to plunder, ravage, lay waste, take by assault, carry by force, etc. (very freq.; cf. praedor), Plaut. Men. 1, 3, 11: erat ei vivendum latronum ritu, ut tantum haberet, quantum rapere potuisset, Cic. Phil. 2, 25, 62: tamquam pilam rapiunt inter se rei publicae statum tyranm ab regibus, id. Rep. 1, 44, 68: virgines rapi jussit … quae raptae erant, etc., id. ib. 2, 7, 12; 2, 8, 14; so, virgines, to carry off, abduct, Sall. C. 51, 9; Liv. 1, 9; Quint. 7, 7, 3; 9, 2, 70; Hor. C. 2, 4, 8; Ov. M. 12, 225; id. A. A. 1, 680: raptus a dis Ganymedes, Cic. Tusc. 1, 26, 65: ab Idā, Hor. C. 3, 20, 16: omne sacrum rapiente dextrā, id. ib. 3, 3, 52: alii rapiunt incensa feruntque Pergama, pillage and plunder, Verg. A. 2, 374 (the Homeric ἄγουσι και φέρουσι; for which, in prose, ferre et agere; v. ago); cf.: rapturus moenia Romae, Luc. 3, 99: Theumeson, to seize by force, Stat. Th. 4, 370: Armeniam, to plunder, lay waste, Tac. A. 13, 6: Karthaginem, Sil. 15, 401: urbem, Stat. Th. 7, 599: raptas ad litora vertere praedas, Verg. A. 1, 528.
        Absol.: rapio propalam, Plaut. Ep. 1, 1, 10: ut Spartae, rapere ubi pueri et clepere discunt, Cic. Rep. 4, 5, 11 (Non. 20, 14): agunt, rapiunt, tenent, id. Rep. 3, 33, 45 Mos.; cf. along with trahere, Sall. C. 11, 4; id. J. 41, 5; with congerere, auferre, Mart. 8, 44, 9.
        With the idea of rapidity predominating: castra urbesque primo impetu rapere, to conquer rapidly (= raptim capere), Liv. 6, 23, 5 Drak.; so, castra, Flor. 3, 20, 4; 4, 12, 34: Bithyniam, id. 3, 5, 6: Hispaniam, id. 2, 17, 6: arces, Luc. 6, 14.
        Part. perf. subst.
          1. (α) rapta, ae, f., the ravished one, the seduced: gratus raptae raptor fuit, Ov. A. A. 1, 680; id. H. 5, 97; 13, 55; 16, 339; id. F. 4, 607.
          2. (β) raptum, i, n., the plunder, that which is stolen: rapto vivere, to live by robbery, Liv. 7, 25 fin.; 22, 39; 28, 24: Quint. 3, 7, 24; Sen. Ep. 70 fin.; Curt. 3, 10 fin.; Just. 41, 4, 7; Verg. A. 7, 749; Ov. M. 11, 291; id. Tr. 5, 10, 16; for which: ex rapto vivere, id. M. 1, 144; so, rapto gaudere, Liv. 29, 6, 3 Drak.: rapto potiri, Verg. A. 4, 217: rapto uti, Vell. 2, 73, 3: sine rapto vivere, id. 2, 32 fin.
      2. 2. To cut off, mutilate (poet.): caput, Sil. 15, 807: ora gladio, id. 7, 704: rapuit non dente ferarum, Luc. 10, 517.
      3. 3. To carry off suddenly or prematurely by death, to snatch away (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): improvisa leti Vis rapuit rapietque gentes, Hor. C. 2, 13, 20; so id. ib. 2, 17, 5; 4, 2, 21; id. Ep. 1, 14, 7; Verg. A. 6, 428; Ov. P. 4, 11, 5; Stat. S. 2, 1, 208; 5, 3, 16; Plin. 7, 8, 6, § 46; Suet. Calig. 7; Just. 2, 2, 13 (but Liv. 3, 50, 8: fato erepta, v. Drak.)
        Absol.: et labor et durae rapit inclementia mortis, i. e. hurries on, Verg. G. 3, 68: RAPTA EST = obiit, Inscr. Orell. 4475.
  2. II. Transf. (poet.), of any action or motion which resembles seizing, snatching, etc.: flammanm, to catch quickly, Verg. A. 1, 176; Ov. M. 3, 374; cf.: incendia, id. ib. 15, 350: nigrum colorem, to take or assume quickly, id. ib. 7, 289; cf.: vim monstri, id. ib. 4, 744; and v. III.: Halesus Turno feroces Mille rapit populos, leads hastily on, Verg. A. 7, 725; cf. id. ib. 10, 178: rapiuntque ruuntque; Litora deseruere, take hold, seize in haste (the cables, etc.), id. ib. 4, 581; cf.: scalas, Auct. B. Alex. 20, 4.
    Of the gliding movement of a serpent nec rapit immensos orbes per humum, sweeps along, Verg. G. 2, 153: pars densa ferarum Tecta rapit, i. e. range quickly through, Verg. A. 6, 8 Heyne; cf.: acrior et campum sonipes rapit, Stat. Th. 5, 3.
  3. III. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to snatch, force, or hurry away: fertur quasi torrens oratio, quamvis multa cujusquemodi rapiat, Cic. Fin. 2, 1, 3: ipsae res verba rapiunt, carry along with them, id. ib. 3, 5, 19: aspice me quanto rapiat Fortuna periclo, carries away (the figure taken from a storm at sea), Prop. 1, 15, 3: aliquem in deteriorem viam, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 54; cf.: (comoediam) in pejorem partem, i. e. to put a bad construction upon, to misconstrue, misrepresent, Ter. Ad. prol. 3: consilium meum in contrariam partem, Pollio ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 33, 2: aliquem in invidiam, Cic. Agr. 3, 2, 7: opinionibus vulgi rapimur in errorem, id. Leg. 2, 17, 43: si quis in adversum rapiat casusve deusve, Verg. A. 9, 211; Cic. Tusc. 5, 5, 13: cum aliqua his ampla et honesta res objecta est, totos ad se convertit et rapit, seizes upon, appropriates, id. Off. 2, 10, 37; cf.: commoda ad se, id. ib. 3, 5, 22: victoriae gloriam in se, Liv. 33, 11 fin.: almum Quae rapit hora diem, snatches away, Hor. C. 4, 7, 8; cf.: simul tecum solatia rapta, Verg. E. 9, 18: impetus rapit huc, rapit illuc, Stat. Th. 12, 794.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To carry along or away with passion, to transport, ravish, captivate; and with a designation of the limit, to carry or hurry away, to attract strongly to any thing (usually in a bad sense): impetu raptus, Quint. 7, 2, 44: judicem rapere, id. 6, 2, 3; cf. id. 10, 1, 110; 12, 10, 61: praedae ac rapinarum cupiditas caeca te rapiebat, Cic. Pis. 24, 57: amentiā rapi, id. Fam. 16, 12, 2: furorne caecus, an rapit vis acrior, An culpa? Hor. Epod. 7, 13; cf.: in medias res auditorem, id. A. P. 149: utraque forma rapit, Prop. 2, 25 (3, 20), 44: quem (sc. leonem) cruenta Per medias rapit ira caedes, Hor. C. 3, 2, 12: rapit omnes ira, Sil. 14, 299: ὁρμή, quae hominem huc et illuc rapit, Cic. Off. 1, 28 fin.; cf. Verg. A. 4, 286; 8, 21: ad quas (res) plerique inflammati aviditate rapiuntur, Cic. Off. 2, 11, 38: animus cupidine caecus ad inceptum scelus rapiebat, Sall. J. 25, 7: ea (cupiditas) ad oppugnandam Capuam rapit, Liv. 7, 30 et saep.
        In a good sense: qui ad divinarum rerum cognitionem curā omni studioque rapiantur, Cic. Div. 1, 49, 111: rapi ad opes augendas generis humani, id. Rep. 1, 2, 3.
        Poet., with inf. (for ad aliquid): (mundus) rapit aetherios per carmina pandere census, Manil. 1, 12.
      2. 2. To seize by violence, to snatch, steal (poet.): Hippodameam raptis nactu’st nuptiis, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 12, 26 (Trag. v. 398 Vahl.): oscula, Hor. C. 2, 12, 28; Tib. 1, 4, 53; 55; 1, 8, 58; cf.: Venerem incertam, Hor. S. 1, 3, 109; cf.: sed rapiat sitiens Venerem, but may eagerly seize upon, Verg. G. 3, 137: illicitas voluptates, Tac. H. 3, 41: spem adoptionis acrius in dies, id. ib. 1, 13 fin.: quo facinore dominationem raptum ierit expediam, id. A. 4, 1; cf. id. H. 2, 6.
      3. 3. With the idea of rapidity or haste predominating, to snatch, seize, or lay hold of quickly, to hasten, precipitate (poet.; in prose only since the Aug. per.): vive, Ulixes, dum licet: Oculis postremum lumen radiatum rape: non dixit cape, non pete; haberet enim moram sperantis diutius sese victurum; sed rape, Cic. de Or. 3, 40, 162 (from an old poet.): rapiamus, amici, Occasionem de die, Hor. Epod. 13, 3; so, occasionem, Juv. 15, 39: viam, to hasten, Ov. H. 19, 74 Loers; cf. iter, Sil. 12, 471: gressus, Luc. 3, 116: cursus, id. 5, 403: letum, id. 4, 345: bellum, to wage suddenly, id. 5, 403: nefas, to hasten, precipitate, id. 10, 428: ut limis rapias, quid prima secundo Cera velit versu, may hastily note, Hor. S. 2, 5, 53 al.
        In prose: raptae prope inter arma nuptiae, Liv. 30, 14, 2 Drak.: repente impetu facto transitum rapuit, Front. Strat. 1, 4, 8: inter rapienda momenta periculorum communium, Amm. 18, 7, 7 et saep.
      4. 4. In late Lat., to strive for in purchasing: exemplaria litterarum certatim, Hier. Ep. 57, 2: librum totā certatim urbe, Sulp. Sev. Dial. 1, 23.