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.

2. dīco, xi, ctum, 3 (praes. DEICO, Inscr. Orell. 4848; imp. usu. dic; cf. duc, fac, fer, from duco, etc., DEICVNTO, and perf. DEIXSERINT, P. C. de Therm. ib. 3673; imp. dice, Naev. ap. Fest. p. 298, 29 Müll.; Plaut. Capt. 2, 2, 109; id. Bac. 4, 4, 65; id. Merc. 1, 2, 47 al.; cf. Quint. 1, 6, 21; fut. dicem = dicam, Cato ap. Quint. 1, 7, 23; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 72, 6 Müll.
Another form of the future is dicebo, Novius ap. Non. 507 (Com. v. 8 Rib.).
Perf. sync.: dixti, Plaut. As. 4, 2, 14; id. Trin. 2, 4, 155; id. Mil. 2, 4, 12 et saep.; Ter. And. 3, 1, 1; 3, 2, 38; id. Heaut. 2, 3, 100 et saep.; Cic. Fin. 2, 3, 10; id. N. D. 3, 9, 23; id. Caecin. 29, 82; acc. to Quint. 9, 3, 22.
Perf. subj.: dixis, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 46; Caecil. ap. Gell. 7, 17 fin.: dixem = dixissem, Plaut. Pseud. 1, 5, 84; inf. dixe = dix isse, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Non. 105, 23; Varr. ib. 451, 16; Arn. init.; Aus. Sept. Sap. de Cleob. 8; inf. praes. pass. dicier, Ter. Eun. 4, 4, 32; Vatin. in Cic. Fam. 5, 9 al.), v. a. [root DIC = ΔΕΙΚ in δείκνυμι; lit., to show; cf. δίκη, and Lat. dicis, ju-dex, dicio], to say, tell, mention, relate, affirm, declare, state; to mean, intend (for syn. cf.: for, loquor, verba facio, dicto, dictito, oro, inquam, aio, fabulor, concionor, pronuntio, praedico, recito, declamo, affirmo, assevero, contendo; also, nomino, voco, alloquor, designo, nuncupo; also, decerno, jubeo, statuo, etc.; cf. also, nego.
The person addressed is usually put in dat., v. the foll.: dicere ad aliquem, in eccl. Lat., stands for the Gr. εἰπεῖν πρός τινα, Vulg. Luc. 2, 34 al.; cf. infra I. B. 2. γ).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: Amphitruonis socium nae me esse volui dicere, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 228: advenisse familiarem dicito, id. ib. 1, 1, 197: haec uti sunt facta ero dicam, id. ib. 1, 1, 304; cf. ib. 2, 1, 23: signi dic quid est? id. ib. 1, 1, 265: si dixero mendacium, id. ib. 1, 1, 43; cf. opp. vera dico, id. ib. 1, 1, 238 al.: quo facto aut dicto adest opus, id. ib. 1, 1, 15; cf.: dictu opus est, Ter. Heaut. 5, 1, 68: nihil est dictu facilius, id. Phorm. 2, 1, 70: turpe dictu, id. Ad. 2, 4, 11: indignis si male dicitur, bene dictum id esse dico, Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 27: ille, quem dixi, whom I have mentioned, named, Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45 et saep.: vel dicam = vel potius, or rather: stuporem hominis vel dicam pecudis attendite, Cic. Phil. 2, 12, 30; cf.: mihi placebat Pomponius maxime vel dicam minime displicebat, id. Brut. 57, 207; so id. ib. 70, 246; id. Fam. 4, 7, 3 al.
        1. b. Dicitur, dicebatur, dictum est, impers. with acc. and inf., it is said, related, maintained, etc.; or, they say, affirm, etc.: de hoc (sc. Diodoro) Verri dicitur, habere eum, etc., it is reported to Verres that, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 18: non sine causa dicitur, ad ea referri omnes nostras cogitationes, id. Fin. 3, 18, 60; so, dicitur, Nep. Paus. 5, 3; Quint. 5, 7, 33; 7, 2, 44; Ov. F. 4, 508: Titum multo apud patrem sermone orasse dicebatur, ne, etc., Tac. H. 4, 52; so, dicebatur, id. A. 1, 10: in hac habitasse platea dictum’st Chrysidem, Ter. And. 4, 5, 1: dictum est, Caes. B. G. 1, 1, 5; Liv. 38, 56; Quint. 6, 1, 27: ut pulsis hostibus dici posset, eos, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 46, 3. Cf. also: hoc, illud dicitur, with acc. and inf., Cic. Fin. 5, 24, 72; id. de Or. 1, 33, 150; Quint. 4, 2, 91; 11, 3, 177 al.
          Esp. in histt. in reference to what has been previously related: ut supra dictum est, Sall. J. 96, 1: sicut ante dictum est, Nep. Dion. 9, 5; cf. Curt. 3, 7, 7; 5, 1, 11; 8, 6, 2 et saep.
        2. c. (See Zumpt, Gram. § 607.) Dicor, diceris, dicitur, with nom. and inf., it is said that I, thou, he, etc.; or, they say that I, thou, etc.: ut nos dicamur duo omnium dignissimi esse, Plaut. As. 2, 2, 47: cf. Quint. 4, 4, 6: dicar Princeps Aeolium carmen ad Italos Deduxisse modos, Hor. Od. 3, 30, 10 al.: illi socius esse diceris, Plaut. Rud. 1, 2, 72: aedes Demaenetus ubi dicitur habitare, id. As. 2, 3, 2: qui (Pisistratus) primus Homeri libros confusos antea sic disposuisse dicitur, ut nunc habemus, Cic. de Or. 3, 34, 137 et saep.: quot annos nata dicitur? Plaut. Cist. 4, 2, 89: is nunc dicitur venturus peregre, id. Truc. 1, 1, 66 et saep. In a double construction, with nom. and inf., and acc. and inf. (acc. to no. b. and c.): petisse dicitur major Titius … idque ab eis facile (sc. eum) impetrasse, Auct. B. Afr. 28 fin.; so Suet. Oth. 7.
        3. d. Dictum ac factum or dictum factum (Gr. ἅμα ἔπος ἅμα ἔργον), in colloq. lang., no sooner said than done, without delay, Ter. And. 2, 3, 7: dictum ac factum reddidi, it was "said and done" with me, id. Heaut. 4, 5, 12; 5, 1, 31; cf.: dicto citius, Verg. A. 1, 142; Hor. S. 2, 2, 80; and: dicto prope citius, Liv. 23, 47, 6.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Pregn.
        1. a. To assert, affirm a thing as certain (opp. nego): quem esse negas, eundem esse dicis, Cic. Tusc. 1, 6, 12; cf.: dicebant, ego negabam, id. Fam. 3, 8, 5; and: quibus creditum non sit negantibus, iisdem credatur dicentibus? id. Rab. Post. 12, 35.
        2. b. For dico with a negative, nego is used, q. v.; cf. Zumpt, Gram. § 799; but: dicere nihil esse pulchrius, etc., Liv. 30, 12, 6; 21, 9, 3 Fabri; so, freq. in Liv. when the negation precedes, id. 30, 22, 5; 23, 10, 13 al.; cf. Krebs, Antibar. p. 355.
      2. 2. dico is often inserted parenthetically, to give emphasis to an apposition: utinam C. Caesari, patri, dico adulescenti contigisset, etc., Cic. Phil. 5, 18, 49; id. Tusc. 5, 36, 105; id. Planc. 12, 30; Quint. 9, 2, 83; cf. Cic. Or. 58, 197; id. Tusc. 4, 16, 36; Sen. Ep. 14, 6; id. Vit. Beat. 15, 6; Quint. 1, 6, 24: ille mihi praesidium dederat, cum dico mihi, senatui dico populoque Romano, Cic. Phil. 11, 8, 20; Sen. Ep. 83, 12; Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 2; 3, 2, 2.
      3. 3. In rhetor. and jurid. lang., to pronounce, deliver, rehearse, speak any thing.
          1. (α) With acc.: oratio dicta de scripto, Cic. Planc. 30 fin.; cf.: sententiam de scripto, id. Att. 4, 3, 3: controversias, Quint. 3, 8, 51; 9, 2, 77: prooemium ac narrationem et argumenta, id. 2, 20, 10: exordia, id. 11, 3, 161: theses et communes locos, id. 2, 1, 9: materias, id. 2, 4, 41: versus, Cic. Or. 56, 189; Quint. 6, 3, 86: causam, of the defendant or his attorney, to make a defensive speech, to plead in defence, Cic. Rosc. Am. 5; id. Quint. 8; id. Sest. 8; Quint. 5, 11, 39; 7, 4, 3; 8, 2, 24 al.; cf. causas (said of the attorney), Cic. de Or. 1, 2, 5; 2, 8, 32 al.: jus, to pronounce judgment, id. Fl. 3; id. Fam. 13, 14; hence the praetor’s formula: DO, DICO, ADDICO; v. do, etc.
          2. (β) With ad and acc. pers., to plead before a person or tribunal: ad unum judicem, Cic. Opt. Gen. 4, 10: ad quos? ad me, si idoneus videor qui judicem, etc., id. Verr. 2, 2, 29, § 72; Liv. 3, 41.
          3. (γ) With ad and acc. of thing, to speak in reference to, in reply to: non audeo ad ista dicere, Cic. Tusc. 3, 32, 78; id. Rep. 1, 18, 30.
          4. (δ) Absol.: nec idem loqui, quod dicere, Cic. Or. 32: est oratoris proprium, apte, distincte, ornate dicere, id. Off. 1, 1, 2; so, de aliqua re pro aliquo, contra aliquem, etc., innumerable times in Cic. and Quint.: dixi, the t. t. at the end of a speech, I have done, Cic. Verr. 1 fin. Ascon. and Zumpt, a. h. 1.; thus, dixerunt, the t. t. by which the praeco pronounced the speeches of the parties to be finished, Quint. 1, 5, 43; cf. Spald. ad Quint. 6, 4, 7.
            Transf. beyond the judicial sphere: causam nullam or causam haud dico, I have no objection, Plaut. Mil. 5, 34; id. Capt. 3, 4, 92; Ter. Ph. 2, 1, 42.
      4. 4. To describe, relate, sing, celebrate in writing (mostly poet.): tibi dicere laudes, Tib. 1, 3, 31; so, laudes Phoebi et Dianae, Hor. C. S. 76: Dianam, Cynthium, Latonam, id. C. 1, 21, 1: Alciden puerosque Ledae, id. ib. 1, 12, 25: caelestes, pugilemve equumve, id. ib. 4, 2, 19: Pelidae stomachum, id. ib. 1, 6, 5: bella, id. Ep. 1, 16, 26; Liv. 7, 29: carmen, Hor. C. 1, 32, 3; id. C. S. 8; Tib. 2, 1, 54: modos, Hor. C. 3, 11, 7: silvestrium naturas, Plin. 15, 30, 40, § 138 et saep.: temporibus Augusti dicendis non defuere decora ingenia, Tac. A. 1, 1; id. H. 1, 1: vir neque silendus neque dicendus sine cura, Vell. 2, 13.
        1. b. Of prophecies, to predict, foretell: bellicosis fata Quiritibus Hac lege dico, ne, etc., Hor. C. 3, 3, 58: sortes per carmina, id. A. P. 403: quicquid, id. S. 2, 5, 59: hoc (Delphi), Ov. Tr. 4, 8, 43 et saep.
      5. 5. To pronounce, articulate a letter, syllable, word: Demosthenem scribit Phalereus, cum Rho dicere nequiret, etc., Cic. Div. 2, 46, 96; id. de Or. 1, 61, 260; Quint. 1, 4, 8; 1, 7, 21 al.
      6. 6. To call, to name: habitum quendam vitalem corporis esse, harmoniam Graii quam dicunt, Lucr. 3, 106; cf.: Latine dicimus elocutionem, quam Graeci φράσιν vocant, Quint. 8, 1, 1: Chaoniamque omnem Trojano a Chaone dixit, Verg. A. 3, 335: hic ames dici pater atque princeps, Hor. Od. 1, 2, 50: uxor quondam tua dicta, Verg. A. 2, 678 et saep.
        Prov.: dici beatus ante obitum nemo debet, Ov. M. 3, 135.
      7. 7. To name, appoint one to an office: ut consules roget praetor vel dictatorem dicat, Cic. Att. 9, 15, 2: so, dictatorem, Liv. 5, 9; 7, 26; 8, 29: consulem, id. 10, 15; 24, 9; 26, 22 (thrice): magistrum equitum, id. 6, 39: aedilem, id. 9, 46: arbitrum bibendi, Hor. Od. 2, 7, 26 et saep.
      8. 8. To appoint, set apart. fix upon, settle: nam mea bona meis cognatis dicam, inter eos partiam, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 113; cf. Pompon. ap. Non. 280, 19: dotis paululum vicino suo, Afran. ib. 26: pecuniam omnem suam doti, Cic. Fl. 35: quoniam inter nos nuptiae sunt dictae, Afran. ap. Non. 280, 24; cf.: diem nuptiis, Ter. And. 1, 1, 75: diem operi, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 57: diem juris, Plaut. Men. 4, 2, 16: diem exercitui ad conveniendum Pharas, Liv. 36, 8; cf. id. 42, 28, and v. dies: locum consiliis, id. 25, 16: leges pacis, id. 33, 12; cf.: leges victis, id. 34, 57: legem tibi, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 18; Ov. M. 6, 137; cf.: legem sibi, to give sentence upon one’s self, id. ib. 13, 72: pretium muneri, Hor. C. 4, 8, 12 et saep.
        With inf.: prius data est, quam tibi dari dicta, Pac. ap. Non. 280, 28.
        Pass. impers.: eodem Numida inermis, ut dictum erat, accedit, Sall. J. 113, 6.
      9. 9. To utter, express, esp. in phrases: non dici potest, dici vix potest, etc.: non dici potest quam flagrem desiderio urbis, Cic. Att. 5, 11, 1; 5, 17, 5: dici vix potest quanta sit vis, etc., id. Leg. 2, 15, 38; id. Verr. 2, 4, 57, § 127; id. Or. 17, 55; id. Red. ad Quir. 1, 4; cf. Quint. 2, 2, 8; 11, 3, 85.
      10. 10. (Mostly in colloq. lang.) Alicui, like our vulg. to tell one so and so, for to admonish, warn, threaten him: dicebam, pater, tibi, ne matri consuleres male, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 88; cf. Nep. Datam. 5; Ov. Am. 1, 14, 1.
        Esp. freq.: tibi (ego) dico, I tell you, Plaut. Curc. 4, 2, 30; id. Bacch. 4, 9, 76; id. Men. 2, 3, 27; id. Mil. 2, 2, 62 et saep.; Ter. And. 1, 2, 33 Ruhnk.; id. ib. 4, 4, 23; id. Eun. 2, 3, 46; 87; Phaedr. 4, 19, 18; cf.: tibi dicimus, Ov. H. 20, 153; id. M. 9, 122; so, dixi, I have said it, i. e. you may depend upon it, it shall be done, Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 90; 92.
      11. 11. Dicere sacramentum or sacramento, to take an oath, to swear; v. sacramentum.
  2. II. Transf., i. q. intellego, Gr. φημί, to mean so and so; it may sometimes be rendered in English by namely, to wit: nec quemquam vidi, qui magis ea, quae timenda esse negaret, timeret, mortem dico et deos, Cic. N. D. 1, 31, 86; id. de Or. 3, 44, 174: M. Sequar ut institui divinum illum virum, quem saepius fortasse laudo quam necesse est. At. Platonem videlicet dicis, id. Leg. 3, 1: uxoris dico, non tuam, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 30 et saep.
    Hence, dictum, i, n., something said, i. e. a saying, a word.
    1. A. In gen.: haut doctis dictis certantes sed male dictis, Enn. ap. Gell. 20, 10 (Ann. v. 274 Vahl.; acc. to Hertz.: nec maledictis); so, istaec dicta dicere, Plaut. Trin. 1, 2, 40: docta, id. ib. 2, 2, 99; id. Men. 2, 1, 24; Lucr. 5, 113; cf. condocta, Plaut. Poen. 3, 2, 3: meum, id. As. 2, 4, 1: ridiculum, id. Capt. 3, 1, 22: minimum, Cic. Fam. 1, 9: ferocibus dictis rem nobilitare, Liv. 23, 47, 4 al.: ob admissum foede dictumve superbe, Lucr. 5, 1224; cf. facete, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 73; id. Poen. 3, 3, 24; Ter. Eun. 2, 2, 57; Cic. Off. 1, 29, 104 al.: lepide, Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 103: absurde, id. Capt. 1, 1, 3: vere, Nep. Alc. 8, 4: ambigue, Hor. A. P. 449 et saep.
      Pleon.: feci ego istaec dicta quae vos dicitis (sc. me fecisse), Plaut. Casin. 5, 4, 17.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. A saying, maxim, proverb: aurea dicta, Lucr. 3, 12; cf. veridica, id. 6, 24: Catonis est dictum. Pedibus compensari pecuniam, Cic. Fl. 29 fin. Hence, the title of a work by Caesar: Dicta collectanea (his Ἀποφθέγματα, mentioned in Cic. Fam. 9, 16), Suet. Caes. 56.
        Esp. freq.,
      2. 2. For facete dictum, a witty saying, bon-mot, Enn. ap. Cic. de Or. 2, 54 fin. (cf. Cic. ap. Macr. S. 2, 1 fin.); Cic. Phil. 2, 17; Quint. 6, 3, 2; 16; 36; Liv. 7, 33, 3; Hor. A. P. 273 et saep.; cf. also, dicterium.
      3. 3. Poetry, verse (abstr. and concr.): dicti studiosus, Enn. ap. Cic. Brut. 18, 71: rerum naturam expandere dictis, Lucr. 1, 126; 5, 56: Ennius hirsuta cingat sua dicta corona, Prop. 4 (5), 1, 61.
      4. 4. A prediction, prophecy, Lucr. 1, 103; Verg. A. 2, 115; Val. Fl. 2, 326 al.; cf. dictio.
      5. 5. An order, command: dicto paruit consul, Liv. 9, 41; cf. Verg. A. 3, 189; Ov. M. 8, 815: haec dicta dedit, Liv. 3, 61; cf. id. 7, 33; 8, 34; 22, 25 al.: dicto audientem esse and dicto audire alicui, v. audio.
      6. 6. A promise, assurance: illi dixerant sese dedituros … Cares, tamen, non dicto capti, etc., Nep. Milt. 2, 5; Fur. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1, 34.

dictum, i, n., v. 2. dico, II.