Lewis & Short

assigno (ads-, B. and K., Halm, Weissenb., Jahn, K. and H.), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.

  1. I. In gen.
    1. A. Lit., to mark out or appoint to one, to assign; hence also, to distribute, allot, give by assigning, as t. t. of the division of public lands to the colonists (cf. assignatio; syn.: ascribo, attribuo): uti agrum eis militibus, legioni Martiae et legioni quartae ita darent, adsignarent, ut quibus militibus amplissime dati, adsignati essent, Cic. Phil. 5, 19 fin.; so id. ib. 2, 17, 43; id. Agr. 3, 3, 12: qui (triumviri) ad agrum venerant adsignandum, Liv. 21, 25; 26, 21; Sic. Fl. p. 18 Goes.
    2. B. Transf., to assign something to some one, to confer upon: mihi ex agro tuo tantum adsignes, quantum corpore meo occupari potest, Cic. Att. 3, 19, 3: munus humanum adsignatum a deo, id. Rep. 6, 15 fin.: apparitores a praetore adsignati, id. Verr. 2, 3, 25: ordines, id. Pis. 36, 88: quem cuique ordinem adsignari e re publicā esset, eum adsignare, Liv. 42, 33: equum publicum, id. 39, 19; so id. 5, 7: equiti certus numerus aeris est adsignatus, id. ib.: aspera bella componunt, agros adsignant, oppida condunt, to assign dwellingplaces to those roaming about (with ref. to I. A.), * Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 8: natura avibus caelum adsignavit, appointed, allotted, Plin. 10, 50, 72, § 141: de adsignandis libertis, Dig. 38, 4. 1 sq.: adsignavit eam vivam, παρέστησεν, he presented her, Vulg. Act. 9, 41 al.
    3. C. Trop., to ascribe, attribute, impute to one as a crime, or to reckon as a service (in the last sense not before the Aug. period; in Cic. only in the first signification).
        1. a. In mal. part.: nec vero id homini tum quisquam, sed tempori adsignandum putavit, Cic. Rab. Post. 10, 27: haec si minus apta videntur huic sermoni, Attico adsigna, qui etc., id. Brut. 19, 74: ne hoc improbitati et sceleri meo potius quam imprudentiae miseriaeque adsignes, id. ad Q. Fr. 1, 4; so id. Fam. 6, 7, 3; id. Att. 6, 1, 11; 10, 4, 6; Planc. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 18, 2: petit, ne unius amentiam civitati adsignarent, Liv. 35, 31’ permixtum vehiculis agmen ac pleraque fortuita fraudi suae adsignantes, Tac. H. 2, 60; Nigid. ap. Gell. 4, 9, 2; and without dat.: me culpam fortunae adsignare, calamitatem crimini dare; me amissionem classis obicere, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 50 Zumpt.
        2. b. In bon. part.: nos omnia, quae prospera tibi evenere, tuo consilio adsignare; adversa casibus incertis belli et fortunae delegare, Liv. 28, 42, 7: Cypri devictae nulli adsignanda gloria est, Vell. 2, 38: sua fortia facta gloriae principis, Tac. G. 14: hoc sibi gloriae, Gell. 9, 9 fin.: si haec infinitas naturae omnium artifici possit adsignari, Plin. 2, 1, 1, § 3: inventionem ejus (molyos) Mercurio adsignat, id. 25, 4, 8, § 26 al.
  2. II. Esp.
    1. A. With the access. idea of object, design, to commit, consign, give over a thing to one to keep or take care of (rare, mostly post-Aug.): quibus deportanda Romam Regina Juno adsignata erat, Liv. 5, 22’ Eumenem adsignari custodibus praecepit, Just. 14, 4 fin.; Dig. 18, 1, 62; 4, 9, 1.
      Trop.: bonos juvenes adsignare famae, Plin. Ep. 6, 23, 2; so Sen. Ep. 110.
    2. B. To make a mark upon something, to seal it (post-Aug.): adsigna, Marce, tabellas, Pers. 5, 81: subscribente et adsignante domino, Dig. 45, 1, 126; 26, 8, 20: cum adsignavero iis fructum hunc, shall have sealed and sent, Vulg. Rom. 15, 28.
      Trop.: verbum in clausulā positum adsignatur auditori et infigitur, is impressed upon, Quint. 9, 4, 29.