Lewis & Short

vinco, vīci, victum, 3, v. a. and n. [perh. causat. of root ικ-; Gr. εἴκω, to yield; but cf. per-vicax; v. Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 106], to conquer, overcome, get the better of, defeat, subdue, vanquish, be victorious, etc. (syn.: supero, debello).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In war or battle: jus esse belli, ut qui vicissent, iis, quos vicissent, quemadmodum vellent, imperarent, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 36: Carthaginienses navalibus pugnis, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 18, 55: Galliam bello, Caes. B. G. 1, 34 fin.: non virtute neque in acie vicisse Romanos, id. ib. 7, 29: id vi et virtute militum victum atque expugnatum oppidum est, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 36: vicimus vi feroces, id. ib. 1, 1, 82: aio te, Aeacida, Romanos vincere posse, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 2, 56, 116 (Ann. v. 186 Vahl.): sicut fortis equus, spatio qui saepe supremo Vicit Olympia, Enn. ap. Cic. Sen. 5, 14 (Ann. v. 442 ib.): aliquando ut vincat, ludit assidue aleam, Poët. ap. Suet. Aug. 70 fin.: L. milia, to win at play, August. ib. 71.
    2. B. In a lawsuit, etc., to be successful, to gain: vincere judicio, Cic. Rosc. Com. 18, 53: quem tu horum nil refelles, vincam scilicet, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 82; Hor. S. 1, 2, 134: causam suam, to win, Ov. H. 16, 76.
      Pass.: factum est: ventum est: vincimur, Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 85.
    3. C. In other relations, to win, prevail, be successful, gain, overcome: sponsione, Cic. Quint. 27, 84: sponsionem, id. Caecin. 31, 91: vicit iter durum pietas, controlled, made easy, Verg. A. 6, 688; cf. Mart. 5, 23, 5; Claud. Cons. Hon. 46: labor omnia vicit, Verg. G. 1, 145; cf. difficultates, Auct. B. G. 8, 21: virgam, to win, Verg. A. 6, 148: vicit tamen in Senatu pars illa, quae, etc., Sall. J. 16, 1: factione respectuque rerum privatarum … Appius vicit, Liv. 2, 30, 2: cum in senatu vicisset sententia, quae, etc., id. 2, 4: Othonem vincas volo, to outbid (in an auction), Cic. Att. 13, 29, 2; 13, 33, 2.
      To defeat as a candidate for office: competitorem in suffragiis, Quint. 7, 1, 29.
    4. D. Transf., of inanimate subjects.
      1. 1. To overcome, overwhelm, prevail over, etc.: (naves) neu turbine venti Vincantur, Verg. A. 9, 92: victa ratis, Ov. Tr. 1, 4, 12: flammam gurgitibus, id. Am. 3, 6, 42: noctem flammis, Verg. A. 1, 727: vincunt aequora navitae, prevail against, get the better of, Hor. C. 3, 24, 41: victaque concessit prisca moneta novae, Ov. F. 1, 222: quernaque glans victa est utiliore cibo, id. ib. 1, 676: corpora victa sopore, id. ib. 1, 422; cf.: blanda quies furtim victis obrepsit ocellis, id. ib. 3, 19: hi casses (linei) vel ferri aciem vincunt, Plin. 19, 1, 2, § 11: campum turbā vincente, overflowing, Sil. 6, 390.
      2. 2. To outlast, survive: (aesculus) Multa virum volvens durando saecula vincit, Verg. G. 2, 295: vivendo mea fata, id. A. 11, 160.
      3. 3. To surmount, scale: aëra (sagittae), Verg. G. 2, 123; cf.: montes ascensu, Claud. III. Cons. Hon. 46.
      4. 4. To reduce, change, etc.; of cooking: nec viscera quisquam … potest vincere flammā, Verg. G. 3, 560: cochleas undis calefactas et prope victas, Ser. Samm. Med. 319.
        Of smelting ores: metallorum primitiae nullis fornacibus victae, Tac. H. 4, 53.
        Of melting snow: nive, quae zephyro victa tepente fluit, Ov. F. 2, 220.
        Of digestion: pervigilio quidem praecipue vincuntur cibi, Plin. 11, 53, 118, § 283.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to prevail, be superior; to convince, refute, constrain, overcome, etc.: argumentis vincit, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 267: naturam studio, Caes. B. G. 6, 43: vincit ipsa rerum publicarum natura saepe rationem, Cic. Rep. 2, 33, 57; cf. id. ib. 3, 8, 13: si subitam et fortuitam orationem commentatio et cogitatio facile vincit; hanc ipsam profecto assidua ac diligens scriptura superabit, id. de Or. 1, 33, 150: sapientis animus vincetur et expugnabitur? id. Par. 4, 1, 27: animum, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 29: non est consentaneum, qui invictum se a labore praestiterit, vinci a voluptate, Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68: labascit, victu’st, uno verbo, quam cito! Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 98: eludet, ubi te victum senserit, id. ib. 1, 1, 10: illius stultitiā victa ex urbe tu migres? id. Hec. 4, 2, 13: adulescentulus saepe eadem audiendo victus est, id. Heaut. 1, 1, 62: peccavi, fateor, vincor, id. ib. 4, 1, 31: victus patris precibus lacrimisque, Liv. 23, 8, 4: divūm pater victus tuis vocibus, Hor. C. 4, 6, 21: est qui vinci possit, id. S. 1, 9, 55: pietas Victa furore, id. C. 3, 27, 36: victus amore pudor, Ov. Am. 3, 10, 29: filia victa in lacrimas, Tac. A. 1, 57: victus animi respexit, Verg. G. 4, 491: triumphantes de lege victā et abrogatā, Liv. 34, 3, 9.
      With ut: ergo negatum, vincor, ut credam miser, am constrained, compelled, Hor. Epod. 17, 27.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To overmatch in some quality, to surpass, exceed, excel, = superare: stellarum globi terrae magnitudinem facile vincebant, Cic. Rep. 6, 16, 16: opinionem vicit omnium, quae, etc., id. Ac. 2, 1, 1: exspectationem omnium, id. Verr. 2, 5, 5, § 11: eam (noctem) edepol etiam multo haec (nox) vicit longitudine, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 125: morum immanitate vastissimas vincit beluas, Cic. Rep. 2, 26, 48: quamlibet mulierculam Vincere mollitiā, Hor. Epod. 11, 24: odio qui posset vincere Regem, id. S. 1, 7, 6: scribere, quod Cassi opuscula vincat, id. Ep. 1, 4, 3; cf.: qualia (praecepta) vincunt Pythagoran, id. S. 2, 4, 2.
        Poet. with inf.: vir nulli victus vel ponere castra vel junxisse ratem, etc., excelled by none in pitching a camp, etc., Sil. 5, 552; 6, 141.
      2. 2. To prove triumphantly, show or demonstrate conclusively.
          1. (α) With obj.-clause: quid nunc? vincon’ argumentis te non esse Sosiam? Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 277: profecto ita esse, et praedico, vero vincam, id. Most. 1, 2, 12: vince deinde, bonum virum fuisse Oppianicum, Cic. Clu. 44, 124: dicendo vincere non postulo, Matius ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 28, 4: vincet enim stultos ratio insanire nepotes, Hor. S. 2, 3, 225.
          2. (β) With ut: nec vincet ratio hoc, tantundem ut peccet idemque Qui, etc., Hor. S. 1, 3, 115.
          3. (γ) Absol.: si doceo non ab Avito, vinco ab Oppianico, Cic. Clu. 23, 64.
      3. 3. With respect to something disputed, to prevail, gain one’s point, carry the day. So only in the expressions,
        1. a. Vicimus: cui si esse in urbe tuto licebit, vicimus, Cic. Att. 14, 20, 3: rumpantur iniqui. Vicimus: assiduas non tulit illa preces, Prop. 1, 8, 28: vicimus exclamat; mecum mea vota feruntur, Ov. M. 6, 513: vicimus et meus est, id. ib. 4, 356.
        2. b. Vincite, viceris, vincerent, have it your own way, just as you like, carry your point, an expression of reluctant assent: vincite, si ita vultis, Caes. B. G. 5, 30; Ov. M. 8, 509: vincerent ac sibi haberent, dummodo scirent, Suet. Caes. 1 fin.: viceris, Ter. And. 5, 3, 21.
      4. 4. To treat worthily, set forth with dignity (poet.): nec sum animi dubius, verbis ea vincere magnum Quam sit, Verg. G. 3, 289; cf.: vincere verbis, Lucr. 5, 733.