Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

dēlecto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. intens. a. [delicio].

  1. I. To allure from the right path, to entice away, to seduce (only ante-class.): me Apollo ipse delectat, ductat Delphicus, Enn. ap. Non. 97, 32 (Trag. v. 390 Vahl.: delectare, illicere, attrahere, Non.): hostem, Quadrig. ib. 98, 2: ubi sementem facturus eris, ibi oves delectato, keep back, Cato R. R. 30 (also copied in Plin. 17, 9, 6, § 55).
  2. II. Meton. (effectus pro causa), to delight, sc. by attracting, alluring; to please, charm, amuse (freq. and class.; cf.: oblecto, juvo): mentem atque animum delectat suum, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12: Pamphilam arcesse, ut delectet hic nos, Ter. Eun. 4, 1, 11: non tam ista me sapientiae fama delectat, quam, etc., Cic. Lael. 4, 15; id. ib. 6 fin.: sive Falernum to magis delectat, Hor. S. 2, 8, 17 al.
    With abl.: delectari multis inanibus rebus, ut honore, ut gloria, etc.: animo autem virtute praedito … non admodum delectari, Cic. Lael. 14: jumentis, Caes. B. G. 4, 2: imperio, id. B. C. 3, 82: criminibus inferendis, Cic. Lael. 18, 65: carminibus, Hor. Od. 4, 1, 23; cf. iambis (with gaudere carmine), id. Ep. 2, 2, 59 et passim: interea cum Musis nos delectabimus aequo animo, id. Att. 2, 4, 2; cf.: cum Musis delectari, Hyg. Astr. 2, 27.
    With ab and abl.: ut me ab eo delectari facilius quam decipi putem posse, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 13 fin.; so, ab aliquo, id. Fin. 1, 5, 14; id. Or. 57, 195 et saep.
    With in and abl.: in hoc admodum delector, quod, etc., id. Leg. 2, 7, 17 Goer.; cf. id. Fin. 1, 11, 39; id. Fam. 6, 4; cf.: ille me delectat in omni genere, id. Att. 16, 5, 2: in alio sua quemque natura delectat, Plin. Pan. 45, 1.
    In ellipt. style, impers.: me magis de Dionysio delectat, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 13 fin.
    With inf. as subject: quam delectabat eum defectiones solis et lunae multo ante nobis praedicere, Cic. Lael. 14, 49; id. Tusc. 3, 26, 63; Quint. 1, 1, 29: aedificare casas … si quem delectet barbatum, Hor. S. 2, 3, 249; cf.: me pedibus delectat claudere verba, id. ib. 2, 1, 28: delectat Veneris decerpere flores, Ov. R. Am. 103.
    In pass.: vir bonus et prudens dici delector, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 32; Phaedr. 5, 3, 9: delectat, impers. (late Lat.), Boeth. Cons. Phil. 2, 3.