Lewis & Short

prae-cĭpĭo, cēpi, ceptum, 3, v. a. [capio], to take or seize beforehand, to get or receive in advance (class., esp. in the trop. sense; syn.: anticipo, praeoccupo).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen., Lucr. 6, 1050: nisi aquam praecepimus ante, id. 6, 804: a publicanis pecuniam insequentis anni mutuam praeceperat, Caes. B. C. 3, 31: aliquantum viae, to get the start somewhat, Liv. 36, 19: longius spatium fugā, id. 22, 41 fin.: iter, id. 3, 46: Piraeeum quinqueremibus, to preoccupy, id. 32, 16, 5: mons a Lusitanis praeceptus, Sall. Fragm. ap. Gell. 10, 26, 3: si lac praeceperit aestus, i. e. have previously dried up, Verg. E. 3, 98.
    2. B. In partic., in jurid. lang, to receive (esp. an inheritance or bequest) in advance, Plin. Ep. 5, 7, 4: si heres centum praecipere jussus sit, Dig. 30, 122; so ib. 36, 1, 63: quantitatem dotis, ib. 17, 2, 81: dotem, ib. 10, 2, 46: per praeceptionem hoc modo legamus: Lucius Titius hominem Stichum praecipito, Gai. Inst. 2, 216.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to take or obtain in advance, to anticipate: aliquantum ad fugam temporis Syphax et Hasdrubal praeceperunt, gained some advantage in time, Liv. 30, 8 fin.: tempus, id. 1, 7: celeres neu praecipe Parcas, do not hasten in advance of, do not anticipate, Stat. Th. 8, 328; so, veneno fata praecepit, Flor. 3, 9, 4: praecipio gaudia suppliciorum vestrorum, I rejoice in advance, Anton. ap. Cic. Phil. 13, 20, 45; Hirt. B. G. 8, 51; cf. Liv. 45, 1, 1: jam animo victoriam praecipiebant, figured to themselves beforehand, Caes. B. C. 3, 87 fin.; Liv. 10, 26: spe jam praecipit hostem, Verg. A. 11, 491: praecipere cogitatione futura, to conjecture or imagine beforehand, Cic. Off. 1, 23, 81: omnia, Verg. A. 6, 105; cf.: haec usu ventura opinione praeceperat, had already suspected, Caes. B. G. 7, 9: sed alterum mihi est certius, nec praecipiam tamen, Cic. Att. 10, 1, 2.
    2. B. In partic., to give rules or precepts to any one, to advise, admonish, warn, inform, instruct, teach; to enjoin, direct, bid, order, etc. (syn.: mando, impero, doceo): vilici officia, quae dominus praecepit, Cato, R. R. 142: Philocomasio id praecipiendum est, ut sciat, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 92: quoi numquam unam rem me licet semel praecipere, id. As. 2, 4, 15: quae ego tibi praecipio, ea facito, id. Trin. 2, 2, 17: docui, monui, bene praecepi semper quae potui omnia, Ter. Ad. 5, 9, 6: quicquid praecipies, esto brevis, Hor. A. P. 335: de eloquentiā, Cic. de Or. 2, 11, 48: de agriculturā, Plin. 18, 24, 56, § 201: alicui aliquid praecipere, Cic. Mur. 2, 4: glossemata nobis, Asin. Gall. ap. Suet. Gram. 22: numerumque modumque carinis Praecipiant, Verg. A. 11, 329: cantus lugubres, Hor. C. 1, 24, 2: artem nandi, Ov. Tr. 2, 486: humanitatem, Plin. Ep. 1, 10, 2, etc.: mitem animum et mores modicis erroribus aequos Praecipit, enjoins, recommends, Juv. 14, 16.
      With inf.: justitia praecipit, parcere omnibus, Cic. Rep. 3, 12, 21; so, paeoniam praecipiunt eruere noctu, Plin. 25, 4, 10, § 29: codicillos aperiri testator praecepit, Dig. 31, 1, 89.
      With ut: illud potius praecipiendum fuit, ut, etc., Cic. Lael. 16, 60: recte etiam praecipi potest in amicitiis, ne, etc., id. ib. 20, 75: consulentibus Pythia praecepit, ut, etc., Nep. Milt. 1, 3.
      With subj. alone: praecipit atque interdicit, omnes unum peterent Indutiomarum, Caes. B. G. 5, 58: his praecepit, omnes mortales pecuniā aggrediantur, Sall. J. 28, 1.
      With acc. and inf.: etiam scelere convictos nonnisi ad opus damnari praeceperat, Suet. Ner. 31: D. Claudius edicto praecepit, decreed, commanded, Dig. 48, 10, 15.
      As subst.: praecĭpĭens, entis, m., a teacher, Cic. Rep. 1, 46, 70: jam prope consummata fuerit praecipientis opera, Quint. 2, 6, 6: in numero praecipientium, id. 2, 3, 5.
      Hence, praeceptum, i, n. (acc. to II. B.), a maxim, rule, precept; an order, direction, command, bidding; an injunction, etc. (class.): quo praecepto ab iis diligentissime observato, Caes. B. G. 5, 35: sine praecepto ullius suā sponte struebatur acies, Liv. 9, 31: transvectae praecepto ducis alae, Tac. Agr. 37: hoc praeceptum patet latius, Cic. Tusc. 2, 24, 58; cf.: hoc praeceptum officii diligenter tenendum est, id. Off. 2, 14, 51.
      In plur.: tuis monitis praeceptisque, Cic. Fam. 5, 13, 3: in quam (partem) praecepta nobis danda sunt, id. Inv. 2, 17, 53; 2, 34, 105: abundare praeceptis philosophiae, id. Off. 1, 1, 1: dare praecepta dicendi, id. Brut. 76, 273; cf. studiosis dicendi praecepta tradere, id. Or. 41, 141: deūm praecepta secuti, orders, commands, Verg. G. 4, 448: sine vi non ulla dabit (Nereus) praecepta, id. ib. 4, 398.