Lewis & Short

ap-prĕhendo (adp-, Fleck., Baiter, Halm; app-, Kayser) (poet. sometimes apprendo: adprendas, Caecil. ap. Gell. 15, 9; apprensus, Tac. A. 4, 8; Stat. S. 3, 4, 43; apprendere, Sil. 13, 653), di, sum, 3, v. a., to lay hold upon, to seize, take hold of (class., esp. in prose; syn.: prehendo, comprehendo, cupio, arripio, corripio).

  1. I. In gen.
    1. A. Lit.: Alterum alterā adprehendit eos manu, Plaut. Am. 5, 1, 64, where Fleck. reads prehendit: Pone (me) apprendit pallio, * Ter. Phorm. 5, 6, 23: adprehendens pallium suum, Vulg. 3 Reg. 11, 30: atomi aliae alias adprehendentes continuantur, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 54: adprehendit cornu altaris, Vulg. 3 Reg. 2, 28: vites sic claviculis adminicula tamquam manibus adprehendunt, Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 120: morsu, Plin. 11, 24, 28, § 84: quantum adprehenderint tres digiti, Quint. 1, 2, 26.
      So of seizing hold of the hand, or embracing the person: manum osculandi causā, Suet. Tib. 72 (prehendere manum is found in Cic. Quint. 31, and id. de Or. 1, 56, 240): manum adprehendere, Vulg. Gen. 19, 16; id. Isa. 41, 13; ib. Marc. 1, 31; ib. Act. 3, 7: quibus adprensis, Tac. A. 4, 8 al.: adprehensum deosculatur, Vulg. Prov. 7, 13.
      Also in entreaty: conscientiā exter ritus adprehendit Caecilium, etc., Plin. Ep. 1, 5, 8.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. Of discourse: quidquid ego apprehenderam statim accusator extorquebat e manibus, whatever I had brought forward, alleged, Cic. Clu. 19, 52: nisi caute adprehenditur, is laid hold of, employed, Quint. 10, 2, 3.
      2. 2. To grasp with the mind, to understand, comprehend: passio apprehensa, Cael. Aur. Tard. 3, 5, 70; Tert. adv. Val. 11.
      3. 3. For complector, to embrace, include: casum testamento, Dig. 28, 2, 10: personam filii (sc. in stipulatione), ib. 45, 1, 56.
  2. II. Esp., to seize, to take, or lay hold of, to apprehend: a militibus adprehensus, Gell. 5, 14, 26: furem adprehendere, Dig. 13, 7, 11: fugitivum, ib. 11, 4, 1.
    Hence,
    1. A. * In milit. lang., to take possession of: adprehendere Hispanias, Cic. Att. 10, 8 init. (cf. Caes. B. C. 3, 112: Pharon prehendit); and in gen. to lay hold of, to get, secure, obtain (eccl. Lat.): adprehende vitam aeternam, Vulg. 1 Tim. 6, 12; 6, 19: justitiam, righteousness, ib. Rom. 9, 30.
    2. B. As med. t., of disease, to seize: Ubi libido veniet nauseae eumque adprehendit, decumbat etc., Cato, R. R. 156, 4.
      So in gen. of fear, pain, trouble (eccl. Lat.): tremor adprehendit eam, Vulg. Jer. 49, 24: dolor, ib. 2 Macc. 9, 5: angustia, ib. Jer. 50, 43: stupor, ib. Luc. 5, 26: tentatio, ib. 1 Cor. 10, 13.