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.

piscātus, ūs (gen. piscati, Pompon. et Turp. ap. Non. 488, 16 sq.), m. [piscor].

  1. I. Lit., a fishing, catching of fish: hamatilis et saxatilis, Plaut. Rud. 2, 1, 10; 4, 2, 6 sq.: esse et in piscatu voluptatem maxime testudinum, Plin. 6, 22, 24, § 91.
    In plur.: quos venatus, aucupia, piscatusque alebant, Plin. 8, 16, 17, § 44.
  2. II. Fig., a catch (of a mistress): piscatus hic tibi evenit bonus, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 1, 70.
    Transf., concr., fishes, fish: parare piscatum, Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 63; 3, 2, 41: privare piscatu, Vitr. 8, 3, 28: inopia tum erat piscati, Turp. ap. Non. 1. 1.: omne piscati genus, Pompon. ap. Non. 1. 1.; Cic. Fin. 2, 8, 23.

piscor, ātus, 1, v. dep. n. [piscis], to fish: ut ante suos hortulos piscarentur, Cic. Off. 3, 14, 58: piscemur, venemur, Hor. Ep. 1, 6, 57: animi laxandi causā piscabatur hamo, Suet. Aug. 83: piscatus est rete aurato, id. Ner. 30: retia in piscando durantia, Plin. 19, 1, 2, § 15: vado piscari, Vulg. Johan. 21, 3.
Prov.: piscari in aëre, to give one’s self useless trouble, to labor in vain, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 86: piscari aureo hamo, to risk more than the game is worth: minima commoda non minimo sectantis discrimine similes aiebat esse aureo hamo piscantibus, cujus abrupti damnum nullā capturā pensari potest, Suet. Aug. 25 fin.