Lewis & Short

ē-nītor, -nīsus or -nixus (enixus, of bodily exertion, esp. of childbirth: enisus, of labor for an end, esp. of mental effort, etc., v. infra), 3, v. dep. n. and act.

  1. I. Neutr.
    1. A. To force or work one’s way out; or (more freq.) to force one’s way up, to mount up, climb, ascend.
      1. 1. Lit.: per angustias aditus et ingruentem multitudinem, Tac. A. 16, 5; cf. Liv. 30, 24; 21, 36: dum cohortes in aequum eniterentur, Tac. A. 2, 80 fin.: adeo erat impedita vallis, ut in ascensu, nisi sublevati a suis, primi non facile eniterentur, Caes. B. C. 2, 34, 5; cf. Liv. 2, 65; Ov. M. 2, 64; Hor. C. 3, 3, 10: sol per ardua enisus, Plin. 18, 28, 68, § 264: in editiora, Tac. A. 1, 70: in verticem montis, Curt. 7, 11: enisae legiones in aperta, Tac. A. 1, 65: Vitellius in editiora enisus, id. ib. 1, 70.
        Poet.: viribus eniti quarum assuescant (vites), by whose strength they may mount up, Verg. G. 2, 360: opibus fratris enisus, Tac. A. 14, 28.
      2. 2. Trop.: nihil tam alte natura constituit, quo virtus non posset eniti, Curt. 7, 11, 10.
    2. B. In gen., to exert one’s self, to make an effort, to struggle, strive, sc. to accomplish something.
      With ut: enitare, contendas, efficias, ut, etc., Cic. Fam. 13, 29, 5; so id. Lael. 16, 59; id. Off. 3, 10, 42; id. Rep. 2, 30; id. Att. 9, 15, 4: tantum celeritate navis enisus est, ut, etc., Caes. B. C. 2, 6, 4: ab adulescentia ita se enisum ut ab optimo quoque probaretur, Sall. J. 22, 2; Liv. 42, 46 et saep.
      With ne: illud pugna et enitere, ne, etc., Cic. Fam. 3, 10, 3; so Sall. J. 10 fin.
      Pass. impers.:       ab eisdem summa ope enisum, ne tale decretum fieret, Sall. J. 25, 2.
      Less commonly with inf.: corrigere mihi gnatum porro enitere, Ter. And. 3, 4, 17 Ruhnk.; so Sall. J. 14, 1; Hor. C. 3, 27, 47; id. A. P. 236.
      Absol.: ego, quod potero, enitar sedulo, Ter. Heaut. 5, 4, 15; Cic. Rep. 6, 24 (twice); Quint. 7, 10, 14 al.; cf.: pro aliquo, Ter. Ph. 3, 1, 11: in aliqua re, Cic. de Or. 2, 72 fin.: ad dicendum, id. ib. 1, 4, 14: quod (acc. respect, v. A. and S. Gr. § 232, 3): quidem certe enitar, Cic. Att. 16, 6, 2; cf. id. ib. 13, 25 fin., Orell. N. cr.
  2. II. Act. (perh. not ante-Aug.).
    1. A. To bring forth, bear children or young: plures enisa partus decessit, Liv. 40, 4: enixa, with acc., Quint. 6 prooem. § 4; Tac. A. 2, 84; 14, 12; Suet. Tib. 4; Verg. A. 3, 391; 8, 44; Ov. M. 1, 670; 3, 344 et saep.
      Absol., Quint. 5, 13, 9; Tac. A. 5, 1; Suet. Calig. 25; id. Ner. 23 al.
    2. B. To climb up, ascend a place: Pyrenaeum et Alpes et immensa viarum spatia aegre, Tac. H. 1, 23 fin.: aggerem, id. A. 2, 20: totum spatium, Col. 2, 2, 27.
      Hence, ēnixus (ēnīsus), a, um, P. a.
    1. A. Strenuous, earnest, zealous: faciebat enixo studio, ne, etc., Liv. 42, 3; cf. opera (with prompta), Frontin. Strat. 2, 5, 30: virtus, Liv. 6, 24 fin.: voluntas, Dig. 31, 1, 77, § 23: enixo studio petere, Val. Max. 8, 15, ext. 1.
      Comp.: opera, Sen. Ben. 6, 17; Plin. 9, 8, 9, § 32.
    2. * B. Ēnixa, that has ceased to bear, Col. 6, 22, 1 Schneid.
      Adv.
        1. a. ēnixe, strenuously, earnestly, zealously: expeto, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 26: causam suscipere, Cic. Sest. 16, 38; Caes. B. C. 3, 35 fin.; Liv. 4, 26 fin.; 41; 6, 40; 26, 47: petere, Sen. Ep. 95, 2 et saep.
          Comp., Liv. 29, 1; Suet. Tib. 50; id. Galb. 3: enixius orare, Greg. M. Dial. 4, 38 al.: animum imperatoris enixius deprecari, Amm. 15, 7; App. M. 2, p. 117, 20.
          Sup., Suet. Caes. 5.
        2. * b. ēnixim, the same, Sisenn. ap. Non. 107, 19.
          Note: ēnixus or ēnīsus, a, um, in pass. signif.
      1. 1. Born: quod in luco Martis enixi sunt, Just. 43, 2, 7.
      2. 2. Impers.: ab eisdem illis regis fautoribus summa ope enisum, ne tale decretum fieret, striven to their utmost to prevent, etc., Sall. J. 25, 2.