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.

1. palpo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., and pal-por, ātus [palpus; cf. Gr. ψάλλω], 1, v. dep. a., to stroke, to touch softly, to pat (poet. and in post-Aug. prose; syn. mulceo).

  1. I. Lit.: modo pectora praebet Virgineā palpanda manu, Ov. M. 2, 867 Jahn N. cr.: palpate lupos, Manil. 5, 702: cum equum permulsit quis vel palpatus est, Dig. 9, 1, 1: tamquam si manu palpetur, Schol. Juv. 6, 196: animalia blandi manu palpata magistri, Prud. στεφ. 11, 91.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. To caress, coax, wheedle, flatter.
          1. (α) Absol.: hoc sis vide ut palpatur! nullus est quando occepit, blandior, Plaut. Merc. 1, 2, 57; Lucil. ap. Non. 472, 6: palpabo, ecquonam modo possim, etc., Cic. Att. 9, 9, 1: nihil asperum tetrumque palpanti est, Sen. Ira, 3, 8, 7.
          2. (β) With dat.: quam blande mulieri palpabitur, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 9: cui male si palpere, recalcitrat undique tutus, Hor. S. 2, 1, 20: scribenti palpare, Poll. ap. Cic. Fam. 10, 33, 2.
          3. (γ) With acc.: quem munere palpat Carus, Juv. 1, 35; App. M. 5, p. 172, 39.
    2. B. To feel one’s way (late Lat.): et palpes in meridie, sicut palpare solet caecus in tenebris, Vulg. Deut. 28, 29; id. Job, 5, 14.