Lewis & Short

praesūmo, mpsi and msi, mptum and mtum, 3, v. a., to take before, take first or beforehand, take to one’s self (syn.: praeoccupo).

  1. I. Lit. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): neve domi praesume dapes, Ov. A. A. 3, 757: allium, Plin. 25, 5, 21, § 50: praesumere cibis frigidam, id. 28, 4, 14, § 55: remedia, Tac. A. 14, 3: heres meus rem illam illum permitte praesumere, et sibi habere, Gai. Epit. Inst. tit. 13: praesumpto tegmine, Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 1, 43; 2, 13, 160: praesumptum diadema, assumed before the legal age, Claud. IV. Cons. Hon. 166: suam cenam praesumit, takes his own supper first, Vulg. 1 Cor. 11, 21.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To take in advance: praesumere male audiendi patientiam, to provide one’s self with beforehand, Quint. 12, 9, 9: inviti judices audiunt praesumentem partes suas, who takes to himself, who encroaches upon, id. 11, 1, 27; 1, 1, 19: differenda igitur quaedam, et praesumenda, id. 8, 6, 63: illa in pueris natura minimum spei dederit, in quā ingenium judicio praesumitur, in which wit is preceded by judgment, where judgment takes the place of the inventive faculty, id. 2, 4, 7.
    2. B. To perform beforehand, to anticipate: heredum officia praesumere, Plin. Ep. 6, 10, 5: hanc ego vitam voto et cogitatione praesumo, i. e. I imagine or picture to myself beforehand, id. ib. 3, 1, 11: gaudium, quod ego olim pro te non temere praesumo, id. ib. 2, 10, 6.
    3. C. To spend or employ beforehand: sementibus tempora plerique praesumunt, Plin. 18, 25, 60, § 224: Vitellius fortunam principatus inerti luxu ac prodigis epulis praesumebat, enjoyed beforehand, Tac. H. 1, 62.
    4. D. To imagine, represent, or picture to one’s self beforehand: arma parate animis, et spe praesumite bellum, Verg. A. 11, 18: futura, Sen. Ep. 107, 3: semper praesumit saeva, perturbatā conscientiā, Vulg. Sap. 17, 10; hence, praesumptum habere, to presuppose, take for granted, Tac. A. 14, 64: utcunque se praesumit innocentem (sc. habendum esse), App. M. 7, 27, p. 200, 8.
    5. E. To foresee, to infer beforehand, anticipate: fortunam alicujus, Tac. A. 12, 41: eo instantius debita poscentes, quo graviorem militiam praesumebant, Just. 6, 2.
  3. F. To presume, take for granted, suppose, believe, assume: ab hostibus reverso filio, quem pater obiisse falso praesumpserat, Dig. 12, 6, 3: vulgo praesumitur, alium in litem non debere jurare, nisi, etc., ib. 12, 3, 7.
  4. G. To undertake, venture, dare (post-class.): tantum animo praesumere, Auct. Pan. ad Const. 2: illicita, Sulp. Sev. Hist. Sacr. 1, 47: ad Italiam transire, Sex. Ruf. Brev. 7.
  5. H. To trust, be confident (late Lat.): quoniam non derelinquis praesumentes de te, et praesumentes de se … humilias, Vulg. Judith, 6, 15: de tuā misericordiā, id. ib. 9, 17.
    Hence, praesumptus (praesumtus), a, um, P. a., taken for granted, assumed, presumed, preconceived (post-Aug.): praesumpta desperatio, Quint. 1 prooem.: opinio, preconceived opinion, prejudice, id. 2, 17: spes, Sil. 7, 582: suspicio, Tac. A. 2, 73.
    In neutr.: praesumptum est, it is supposed, imagined, presumed: praesumptum est, quosdam servos bonos esse, Dig. 21, 1, 31: quicumque haec noscent, praesumptum habeant, etc., let them take for granted, understand without special remark, Tac. 14, 64.
    Comp.: praesumptior, Coripp. Johan. 4, 550.
    Hence, adv.: praesumptē, confidently, boldly (post-class.) veritatem dicere, Vop. Car. 4.