Lewis & Short

ăd-ōro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.

  1. I. In the earliest per., to speak to or accost one, to address; hence, also, to treat of or negotiate a matter with one: adorare veteribus est alloqui, Serv. ad Verg. A. 10, 677: immo cum gemitu populum sic adorat, App. Met. 2, p. 127; 3, p. 130: adorare apud antiquos significabat agere: unde et legati oratores dicuntur, quia mandata populi agunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 19 Müll.; cf. oro and orator.
    Hence, also, in judicial lang., to bring an accusation, to accuse; so in the Fragm. of the XII. Tab. lex viii.: SEI (Si) ADORAT FVRTO QVOD NEC MANIFESTVM ERIT, Fest. S. V. NEC, p. 162 Müll.
  2. II. In the class. per., to speak to one in order to obtain something of him; to ask or entreat one, esp. a deity, to pray earnestly, to beseech, supplicate, implore; constr. with acc., ut, or the simple subj.: quos adorent, ad quos precentur et supplicent, Liv. 38, 43: affaturque deos et sanctum sidus adorat, Verg. A. 2, 700: in rupes, in saxa (volens vos Turnus adoro) Ferte ratem, id. ib. 10, 677: Junonis prece numen, id. ib. 3, 437: prece superos, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 41: non te per meritum adoro, id. H. 10, 141.
    With the thing asked for in the acc. (like rogo, peto, postulo): cum hostiā caesā pacem deūm adorāsset, Liv. 6, 12 Drak.
    With ut: adoravi deos, ut, etc., Liv. 7, 40; Juv. 3, 300: adorati di, ut bene ac feliciter eveniret, Liv. 21, 17: Hanc ego, non ut me defendere temptet, adoro, Ov. P. 2, 2, 55.
    With the subj. without ut, poet.: maneat sic semper adoro, I pray, Prop. 1, 4, 27.
  3. III. Hence,
    1. A. Dropping the idea of asking, entreating, to reverence, honor, adore, worship the gods or objects of nature regarded as gods; more emphatic than venerari, and denoting the highest degree of reverence (Gr. προσκυνεῖν); the habitus adorantium was to put the right hand to the mouth and turn about the entire body to the right (dextratio, q. v.); cf. Plin. 28, 2, 5, § 25; Liv. 5, 21; App. M. 4, 28.
      Constr. with acc., dat., with prepp. or absol.
          1. (α) With acc.: Auctoremque viae Phoebum taciturnus adorat, Ov. M. 3, 18: Janus adorandus, id. F. 3, 881: in delubra non nisi adoraturus intras, Plin. Pan. 52: large deos adorare, Plin. 12, 14, 32, § 62: nil praeter nubes et caeli numen adorat, Juv. 14, 97: adorare crocodilon, id. 15, 2.
            In eccl. Lat. of the worship of the true God: adoravit Israel Deum, Vulg. Gen. 47, 31: Dominum Deum tuum adorabis, ib. Matt. 4, 10: Deum adora, ib. Apoc. 22, 9; so of Christ: videntes eum adoraverunt, ib. Matt. 28, 17; adorent eum omnes angeli Dei, ib. Heb. 1, 6.
          2. (β) With dat. (eccl.): adorato (imperat.) Domino Deo tuo, Vulg. Deut. 26, 10: nec adorabis deo alieno, id. Ital. Ps. 80, 10 Mai (deum alienum, Vulg.): qui adorant sculptibus, ib. ib. 96, 7 Mai (sculptilia, Vulg.).
          3. (γ) With prepp. (eccl.): si adoraveris coram me, Vulg. Luc. 4, 7: adorabunt in conspectu tuo, ib. Apoc. 15, 4: adorent ante pedes tuos, ib. ib. 3, 9; 22, 8.
          4. (δ) Absol. (eccl.): Patres nostri in hoc monte adoraverunt, Vulg. Joan. 4, 20 bis.; ib. Act. 24, 11.
            And,
    2. B. The notion of religious regard being dropped, to reverence, admire, esteem highly: adorare priscorum in inveniendo curam, Plin. 27, 1, 1, § 1: Ennium sicut sacros vetustate lucos adoremus, Quint. 10, 1, 88: veteris qui tollunt grandia templi pocula adorandae rubiginis, Juv. 13, 148: nec tu divinam Aeneida tenta, Sed longe sequere et vestigia semper adora, Stat. Th. 12, 816.
    3. C. Under the emperors the Oriental custom being introduced of worshipping the Cæsars with divine ceremony, to worship, to reverence: C. Caesarem adorari ut deum constituit, cum reversus ex Syria, non aliter adire ausus esset quam capite velato circumvertensque se, deinde procumbens, Suet. Vit. 2; App. M. 4, 28; Min. Fel. 2, 5: non salutari, sed adorari se jubet (Alexander), Just. 12, 7: adorare Caesarum imagines, Suet. Calig. 14: coronam a judicibus ad se delatam adoravit, did obeisance before, id. Ner. 12: adorare purpuram principis, i. e. touched his purple robe and brought it to the mouth in reverence, Amm. 21, 9.
      Of adulation to the rabble, to pay court to: nec deerat Otho protendens manus, adorare volgum, Tac. H. 1, 36.
      Note: This word does not occur in Cic.; for in Arch. 11, 28, where adoravi was given by Mai in Fragm. p. 124, Halm reads adhortatus sum, and B. and K. adornavi.