inquīro, sīvi, sītum, 3, v. a. [in-quaero], to seek after, search for, inquire into any thing (cf. anquirere).
- I. Lit.: vera illa honestas, quam natura maxime inquirit, Cic. Tusc. 3, 2, 3: omnia ordine, Liv. 22, 7, 11: sedes, Just. 3, 4: inquire in ea quae memoriae sunt prodita, Cic. Leg. 1, 1, 4: de opere, Quint. 3, 11, 21: verborum originem, id. 1, 6, 28: aliquibus inquirenda quaedam mandare, id. 10, 1, 128: vitia (alicujus), Hor. S. 1, 3, 28: quid sit furere, id. ib. 2, 3, 41.
- II. Trop.
- A. Jurid., to search for grounds of accusation against one: cum ego diem inquirendi in Siciliam perexiguam postulavissem, Cic. Verr. 1, 2, 6: in competitores, id. Mur. 21: de rebus capitalibus, Curt. 6, 8, 17: inquisitum missi de iis, quorum, etc., Liv. 40, 20, 3.
- B. To search, pry, examine, or inquire into any thing: si quis habet causam celebritatis, in eum quid agat inquiritur, etc., Cic. de Off. 2, 13, 44: nimium inquirens in se, atque ipse sese observans, Cic. Brut. 82, 283: filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos, to inquire how long his father will live, Ov. M. 1, 148: totum in orbem, id. ib. 12, 63: obstitit oceanus in se simul et in Herculem inquiri, Tac. G. 34.
Hence, inquīsītus, a, um, P. a., searched into or for: res, Liv. 10, 40, 10: corpus magna cum cura inquisitum, searched for, id. 22, 7, 5: istanc rem inquisitam certumst non amittere, not to neglect inquiry, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 217.
Hence, adv.: inquīsītē, with investigation, thoroughly, Gell. 1, 3, 9; comp., id. 1, 3, 21.