Lewis & Short

ex-pĕrĭor, pertus (act. experiero, Varr. L. L. 8, 9, 24 dub.), 4, v. dep. a. [ex- and root per-; Sanscr. par-, pi-parmi, conduct; Gr. περάω, pass through; πόρος, passage; πεῖρα, experience; Lat. porta, portus, peritus, periculum; Germ. fahren, erfahren; Eng. fare, ferry], to try a thing; viz., either by way of testing or of attempting it.

  1. I. To try, prove, put to the test.
    1. A. In tempp. praes. constr. with the acc., a rel. clause, or absol.
          1. (α) With acc.: habuisse aiunt domi (venenum), vimque ejus esse expertum in servo quodam ad eam rem ipsam parato, Cic. Cael. 24, 58: taciturnitatem nostram, id. Brut. 65, 231: amorem alicujus, id. Att. 16, 16, C, 1: his persuaserant, uti eandem belli fortunam experirentur, Caes. B. G. 2, 16, 3: judicium discipulorum, Quint. 2, 5, 12: in quo totas vires suas eloquentia experiretur, id. 10, 1, 109: imperium, Liv. 2, 59, 4: cervi cornua ad arbores subinde experientes, Plin. 8, 32, 50, § 117 et saep.
            With a personal object: vin’ me experiri? make trial of me, Plaut. Merc. 4, 4, 29: hanc experiamur, Ter. Hec. 5, 2, 12 Ruhnk.: tum se denique errasse sentiunt, cum eos (amicos) gravis aliquis casus experiri cogit, Cic. Lael. 22, 84: in periclitandis experiendisque pueris, id. Div. 2, 46, 97.
            So with se. reflex., to make trial of one’s powers in any thing: se heroo (versu), Plin. Ep. 7, 4, 3 variis se studiorum generibus, id. ib. 9, 29, 1: se in foro, Quint. 12, 11, 16.
          2. (β) With a rel.-clause, ut, etc.: vosne velit an me regnare era quidve ferat Fors, Virtute experiamur, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 12, 38 (Ann. v. 204, ed. Vahl.): lubet experiri, quo evasuru’st denique, Plaut. Trin. 4, 2, 93: experiri libet, quantum audeatis, Liv. 25, 38, 11; cf. Nep. Alcib. 1, 1: in me ipso experior, ut exalbescam, etc., Cic. de Or. 1, 26, 121; cf. with si: expertique simul, si tela artusque sequantur, Val. Fl. 5, 562.
          3. (γ) Absol.: experiendo magis quam discendo cognovi, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 10: judicare difficile est sane nisi expertum: experiendum autem est in ipsa amicitia: ita praecurrit amicitia judicium tollitque experiendi potestatem, id. Lael. 17, 62.
    2. B. In the tempp. perf., to have tried, tested, experienced, i. e. to find or know by experience: benignitatem tuam me experto praedicas, Plaut. Merc. 2, 2, 18: omnia quae dico de Plancio, dico expertus in nobis, Cic. Planc. 9, 22: experti scire debemus, etc., id. Mil. 26, 69: illud tibi expertus promitto, id. Fam. 13, 9, 3: dicam tibi, Catule, non tam doctus, quam, id quod est majus, expertus, id. de Or. 2, 17, 72: puellae jam virum expertae, Hor. C. 3, 14, 11; 4, 4, 3; cf. Quint. 6, 5, 7: mala captivitatis, Sulp. Sev. 2, 22, 5: id opera expertus sum esse ita, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 2, 3: expertus sum prodesse, Quint. 2, 4, 13: expertus, juvenem praelongos habuisse sermones, id. 10, 3, 32: ut frequenter experti sumus, id. 1, 12, 11.
      Rarely in other tenses: et exorabile numen Fortasse experiar, may find, Juv. 13, 103.
    3. C. To make trial of, in a hostile sense, to measure strength with, to contend with: ut interire quam Romanos non experiri mallet, Nep. Ham. 4, 3: maritimis moribus mecum experitur, Plaut. Cist. 2, 1, 11: ipsi duces cominus invicem experti, Flor. 3, 21, 7; 4, 10, 1; cf.: hos cum Suevi, multis saepe bellis experti, finibus expellere non potuissent, Caes. B. G. 4, 3, 4: Turnum in armis, Verg. A. 7, 434.
  2. II. To undertake, to attempt, to make trial of, undergo, experience a thing.
    1. A. In gen.: qui desperatione debilitati experiri id nolent, quod se assequi posse diffidant. Sed par est omnes omnia experiri, qui, etc., Cic. Or. 1, 4; cf.: istuc primum experiar, Plaut. Truc. 2, 7, 47: omnia experiri certum est, priusquam pereo, Ter. And. 2, 1, 11: omnia prius quam, etc., Caes. B. G. 7, 78, 1: extrema omnia, Sall. C. 26, 5; cf. also: sese omnia de pace expertum, Caes. B. C. 3, 57, 2: libertatem, i. e. to make use of, enjoy, Sall. J. 31, 5: late fusum opus est et multiplex, etc. … dicere experiar, Quint. 2, 13, 17: quod quoniam me saepius rogas, aggrediar, non tam perficiundi spe quam experiundi voluntate, Cic. Or. 1, 2.
      With ut and subj.: nunc si vel periculose experiundum erit, experiar certe, ut hinc avolem, Cic. Att. 9, 10, 3: experiri, ut sine armis propinquum ad officium reduceret, Nep. Dat. 2, 3.
    2. B. In partic., jurid. t. t., to try or test by law, to go to law: aut intra parietes aut summo jure experietur, Cic. Quint. 11, 38; cf.: in jus vocare est juris experiundi causa vocare, Dig. 2, 4, 1; 47, 8, 4: a me diem petivit: ego experiri non potui: latitavit, Cic. Quint. 23, 75; Liv. 40, 29, 11: sua propria bona malaque, cum causae dicendae data facultas sit, tum se experturum, Liv. 3, 56, 10: postulare ut judicium populi Romani experiri (liceat), id. ib.
      Hence,
      1. 1. expĕrĭens, entis, P. a. (acc. to II.), experienced, enterprising, active, industrious (class.): homo gnavus et industrius, experientissimus ac diligentissimus arator, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 21, § 53: promptus homo et experiens, id. ib. 2, 4, 17, § 37: vir fortis et experiens, id. Clu. 8, 23: vir acer et experiens, Liv. 6, 34, 4: comes experientis Ulixei, Ov. M. 14, 159: ingenium, id. Am. 1, 9, 32.
        With gen.: genus experiens laborum, inured to, patient of, Ov. M. 1, 414: rei militaris experientissimi duces, Arn. 2, 38 init.; cf. Vulg. 2 Macc. 8, 9.
        Comp. appears not to occur.
      2. 2. expertus, a, um, P. a. (acc. to I.), in pass. signif., tried, proved, known by experience (freq. after the Aug. per.): vir acer et pro causa plebis expertae virtutis, Liv. 3, 44, 3: per omnia expertus, id. 1, 34, 12: indignitates homines expertos, id. 24, 22, 2: dulcedo libertatis, id. 1, 17, 3: industria, Suet. Vesp. 4: artes, Tac. A. 3, 17: saevitia, Prop. 1, 3, 18: confidens ostento sibi expertissimo, Suet. Tib. 19.
        With gen.: expertos belli juvenes, Verg. A. 10, 173; cf. Tac. H. 4, 76.
        Comp. and adv. appear not to occur.