Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.
auceps, cŭpis (cipis, acc. to Vel. Long. Orthogr. p. 2235), comm. [contr. for aviceps, from avis-capio], a bird-catcher, fowler.
- I. Lit.: Piscator, pistor apstulit, lanii, coqui, Holitores, myropolae, aucupes, Plaut. Trin. 2, 4, 7: veluti merulis intentus decidit auceps In puteum, Hor. A. P. 458: quasi avis de manu aucupis, Vulg. Prov. 6, 5; ib. Jer. 5, 26; ib. Amos, 3, 5: as a bird-seller: Edicit piscator uti, pomarius, auceps, Hor. S. 2, 3, 227: Non avis aucupibus monstrat, quā parte petatur, Ov. A. A. 3, 669 al.
- II. Trop., a spy, eavesdropper: circumspice dum, ne quis nostro hic auceps sermoni siet, Plaut. Mil. 4, 1, 9 (cf. id. ib. 3, 1, 14: ne quis … nostro consilio venator adsit cum auritis plagis): Numquis hic est alienus nostris dictis auceps auribus, id. Stich. 1, 2, 45: voluptatum auceps, Cic. Ac. Fragm. ap. Aug. contra Ac. 3, 7 (Orell. IV. 2, p. 470): praeco actionum, cantor formularum, auceps syllabarum, a minute and trifling critic, a caviller, id. de Or. 1, 55, 236.