quaerĭto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. freq. a. [quaero], to seek, search, or look for earnestly (ante-class.).
- I. In gen.: hominem inter vivos quaeritamus mortuum, Plaut. Men. 2, 1, 15: defessus sum quaeritando, id. Am. 4, 1, 4; id. Cist. 4, 2, 19: aliquem mari terrāque, id. Poen. prol. 105: te ipsum, Ter. Ad. 2, 4, 2: hospitium ab aliquo, Plaut. Poen. 3, 3, 77: lanā ac telā victum, to earn, Ter. And. 1, 1, 48: multis languoribus peresus essem te quaeritando, Cat. 58, 15.
Prov.: hujus sermo haud cinerem quaeritat, needs no ashes, i. e. no polishing, Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 10.
- II. In partic., to ask, inquire, or demand earnestly, to wish to know exactly: quid tu id quaeritas? Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 22; id. Cist. 4, 2, 57; Ter. Eun. 3, 3, 17.