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. pŏtĭor, ītus, 4 (inf. pres. potirier, Plaut. As. 5, 2, 66.
Acc. to the third conj., potĭtur, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 274 Müll. or Ann. v. 78 Vahl.; Verg. A. 3, 56: capto potĭmur mundo, Manil. 4, 882; Ov. M. 13, 130; Cat. 64, 402.
Potītur. only in Prisc. 881, and Ov. H. 14, 113. So, poti for potiri, Pac. ap. Non. 475, 29; Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 3, 5, acc. to Trag. Rel. p. 56 Rib., and Enn. Trag. v. 260 Vahl.
Act. collat. form pŏtĭo, īre; v. 2. potio), v. dep. n. [potis].

  1. I. Lit., to become master of, to take possession of, to get, obtain, acquire, receive; constr. with gen., acc., abl., and absol. (class.; syn.: occupo, invado).
          1. (α) With gen.: illius regni potiri, Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 5: urbis potiri, Sall. C. 47, 2: vexilli, Liv. 25, 14: nemini in opinionem veniebat Antonium rerum potiturum, Nep. Att. 9, 6: voti, Sil. 15, 331.
          2. (β) With acc. (mostly ante- and post-class.; not in Cic.): regnum, Pac. ap. Non. 481, 32: sceptrum, Att. ib. 30; cf.: Homerus sceptra potitus, Lucr. 3, 1038: oppidum, Auct. B. Hisp. 13: summum imperii, to get possession of the supreme dominion, Nep. Eum. 3, 4; cf.: regni Persarum potiundi, id. Ages. 4, 2: spes urbis potiundae, Caes. B. G. 2, 7, 2; 3, 6, 2: in spe urbis hostium potiundae, Liv. 8, 2, 5; Curt. 8, 11, 19.
          3. (γ) With abl.: ille hodie si illā sit potitus muliere, Plaut. Ps. 4, 6, 9: natura iis potiens, Cic. Tusc. 3, 18, 41: si ad decem milia annorum gentem aliquam urbe nostra potituram putem, id. ib. 1, 37, 90 B. and K.: imperio totius Galliae, Caes. B. G. 1, 2: victoriā, id. ib. 3, 24: impedimentis castrisque, id. ib. 1, 21: sceptro, Ov. H. 14, 113: pane, Lucil. ap. Prisc. p. 881 P.: thalamo, Naev. ib.
          4. (δ) Absol.: libidines ad potiundum incitantur, Cic. Sen. 12, 39: potiendi spe inflammati, id. Fin. 1, 18, 60.
  2. II. Transf., to be master of, to have, hold, possess, occupy; with gen., acc., abl., and absol. (class.; syn.: fruor, utor).
          1. (α) With gen.: Cleanthes solem dominari et rerum potiri putat, has the chief power in the universe, Cic. Ac. 2, 41, 126: civitas Atheniensium, dum ea rerum potita est, id. Rosc. Am. 25, 70: potiente rerum patre, Tac. H. 3, 74.
          2. (β) With acc.: laborem hunc potiri, Plaut. Rud. 1, 3, 5: patria potitur commoda, Ter. Ad. 5, 4, 17: gaudia, id. ib. 22.
          3. (γ) With abl.: frui iis (voluptatibus), quibus senectus, etiam si non abunde potitur, non omnino caret, Cic. Sen. 14, 48: oppido, Liv. 6, 33: monte, have climbed, Ov. M. 5, 254.
          4. (δ) Absol.: qui tenent, qui potiuntur, Cic. Att. 7, 12, 3.

pŏtītus, a, um, Part., in a pass. signif., v. 2. potio.

2. pŏtĭor, ĭus, comp. of potis.

pŏtis (in the positive rarely declined, and in the neutr. pŏte), adj. (comp. pŏ-tĭor, ius; sup. pŏtissĭmus, a, um; class. only in the comp.) [Sanscr. patis, lord; Gr. πόσις, husband; δεσ-πότης, lord; Lat. compotis (compos) potiri].

  1. I. Posit., able, capable; possible (mostly ante-class. and poet.): divi qui potes pro illo quod Samothraces θεοὶ δυνατοί, Varr L. L. 5, § 58 Müll.; Macr. S. 3, 4: nisi qui colaphos perpeti Potis parasitus, Plaut. Capt. 1, 1, 21.
    Usually in the connection potis or pote est, he, she, or it is able, may, or can: at ea supterfugere potis es pauca, Plaut. Capt. 5, 2, 17: neque sanguis ullo potis est pacto profluens consistere, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38: istam non potis est vis saeva exstinguere venti, Poët. ap. Gell. 19, 9, 12: at non Evandrum potis est vis ulla tenere, Verg. A. 11, 148: quod nunquam potis est sejungi, Lucr. 1, 452: nec potis est cerni, id. 5, 719; Cat. 76, 24: qui potis est? how is it possible? id. 72, 7.
    With plur.: si speres quicquam prodesse potis sunt, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 333 Müll. (Ann. v. 410 Vahl.): duae plus satis dare potis sunt, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 17: quid pastores potis sint, Varr. R. R. 2, 2.
    Without est: quis potis ingentes oras evolvere belli? Enn. ap. Diom. p. 381 P. (Ann. v. 178 Vahl.); Verg. A. 3, 671; Hor. C. 3, 17, 13.
    Form pote: si non aliud pote est, Cat. 43, 16. Without est: nec devitari letum pote, Lucr. 3, 1079: viget, veget, utpote plurimum, Varr. ap Non. 2, 876: nec non emptor pote ex empto vendito illum damnare, id. R. R. 2, 2: nec eniti remis pote, Val. Fl. 4, 680; Prop. 2, 1, 46: qui pote? vis dicam? nugaris, Pers. 1, 56: in te dici pote, Id, quod, Cat. 98, 1: nec peccatum a me quisquam pote dicere quicquam, id. 67, 11: hoc facito, sive id non pote sive pote, be it impossible or possible, id. 76, 16: quid pote simplicius? what can be more simple? Mart. 9, 16, 2: nihil pote supra, nothing could exceed it, Ter. Ad. 2, 3, 11; Auct. ap. Cic. Brut. 46, 172; Cic. Att. 13, 38, 1: quantum pote, as soon as possible, id. ib. 4, 13, 1: quam pote, as much as possible (post-class.): aufugiamus istinc quam pote longissime, App. M. 1, p. 107, 9; 2, p. 119, 33.
  2. II. Comp.: pŏtĭor, us, that may be preferred, preferred; better, preferable (class.).
    1. A. Of persons: numquam edepol erit ille potior Harpax, quam ego, Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 17; 1, 3, 95: quem aequiust potiorem habere quam te? id. Stich. 1, 2, 40: qui plus pollet potiorque est patre, old poet ap. Cic. Tusc. 4, 32, 69; id. Fam. 10, 3, 2: itaque cives potiores quam peregrini, id. Lael. 5, 19: Sosim et Moericum quibus tantam crederem rem, potiores habui, Liv. 26, 31, 4: at tu, qui potior nunc es, happier in love, preferred, Tib. 1, 6, 33 (5, 69): ut in judicio possessionis potior esset, Dig. 18, 1, 34.
    2. B. Of things, better, stronger, preferable, more useful or important: nulla potior serenda, Varr. R. R. 1, 15: sucus, Plin. 36, 22, 43, § 158: novistine locum potiorem rure beato? Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 14: sententia, id. Epod. 16, 17: mors civibus Romanis semper fuit servitute potior, Cic. Phil. 10, 9, 19: illi turpis vita integrā famā potior fuit, Sall. J. 67, 3: nihil mihi potius fuit quam ut Massinissam convenirem, I had nothing more important, nothing more urgent to do, Cic. Rep. 6, 9, 9: illa semper potiora duxisti, quae, etc., id. de Or. 3, 22, 82: semper se rei publicae commoda privatis necessitatibus habuisse potiora, Caes. B. C. 1, 8.
      Subst.: ut probetis potiora, Vulg. Phil. 1, 10: hem, mater mea, tibi rem potiorem video (sc. verbis), I see a fact stronger than words, i. e. a clearer proof, Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 12.
  3. III. Sup.: pŏtissĭmus, a, um, the chief, principal, most prominent, most important.
    1. A. Of persons (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): item huic ultro fit, ut Meret, potissimus nostrae domi ut sit, Plaut. Men. 2, 3, 9: tantis potissimus umbris, Stat. Th. 4, 627: potissimos libertorum veneno interficere, Tac. A. 14, 65.
    2. B. Of things (class.): utrum potius, aut quid potissimum sit, quaeritur, Cic. Inv. 1, 12, 17: cura, Stat. S. 4, 4, 20: nobilitas, Plin. 14, 2, 4, § 25: opusculum, Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 10: causa, Tac. A. 4, 16.
      Hence, adv., only in the comp. and sup.
    1. A. Comp.: pŏtĭus, rather, preferably, more (class.; cf.: satius, prius): quo nos vocabis nomine? Ar. Libortos. Le. Non patronos? Ar. Id potius, Plaut. As. 3, 3, 62: sed scin’, quid volo potius, sodes, facias? Ter. Hec. 5, 1, 27; id. And. 5, 3, 2: nec vero imperia expetenda: ac potius non accipienda interdum, Cic. Off. 1, 20, 68.
      With quam, Plaut. Aul. 4, 2, 11: Galliam potius esse Ariovisti quam populi Romani, Caes. B. G. 1, 45.
      When the predicates are compared, the verb in the following clause is always in the subj.: perpessus est omnia potius quam conscios indicaret, rather than, Cic. Tusc. 2, 22, 52: in oratione non vis potius quam delectatio postulatur, Cic. de Or. 2, 78, 317: privabo potius illum debito testimonio quam id cum meā laude communicem, id. Ac. 2, 1, 3: scribam aliquid potius, quam committam ut litterae non reddantur, id. Att. 5, 6, 2: nos potius nostro delicto plectemur, quam res publica nostra peccata luat, Liv. 8, 7, 17: per interregem comitia habenda potius, quam consulum alter a bello avocaretur, id. 22, 23, 10; 9, 14, 16.
      So with quam ut: se miliens morituros potius quam ut tantum dedecoris admitti patiantur, Liv. 4, 2, 8: audeo dicere hoc malo domitos ipsos potius cultores agrorum fore, quam ut armati, etc., id. 2, 34, 11; 6, 28, 8; 9, 14, 7.
      But after verbs of willing, wishing (sometimes of declaring), the inf. is used: dictatore obstinato tollere potius totum e re publicā consulatum, quam promiscuum facere, Liv. 7, 21, 1; 23, 9, 8; 21, 13, 8: v. Weissenb. ad Liv. 2, 15, 2; Fest. s. v. olivitam, p. 202 Müll.; v. Muuml;ll. ad. loc. p. 203, a.
      In an inverted order: quam potius, Verg. Copa, 5: quid mihi negotii est eum istis nugacibus, quam potius potamus mulsum? C. Titius ap. Macr. S. 2, 12.
      Sometimes potius is to be supplied: tacita, bona est mulier semper, quam loquens, Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 70; id. Men. 5, 1, 26: tamen statuit congredi, quam cum tantis copiis refugere, Nep. Dat. 8, 1.
      Pleon., with words which already express comparison.
      Comp., Ter. Hec. 4, 1, 19: Uticae potius quam Romae esse malle, Cic. Lig. 2, 5: favorabiliores rei potius, quam actores habentur, Dig. 50, 17, 167.
      1. 2. Esp., introducing a repetition of a thought in a corrected or strengthened form: aut potius, vel potius, or rather, or I may better say, etc.: efficiet enim ratio ut … mors aut malum non sit, aut sit bonum potius, Cic. Tusc. 1, 11, 23: quam fuit imbecillus P. Africani filius, quam tenui aut nullā potius valetudine, id. Sen. 11, 35: erravit aut potius insanivit Apronius? id. Verr. 2, 3, 48, § 113: Cato magnus hercule homo, vel potius summus et singularis vir, id. Brut. 85, 293; Dig. 1, 5, 16.
    2. B. Sup.: pŏtissĭmē (pŏtissŭ-), and more freq. pŏtissĭmum (pŏtissŭ-), chiefly, principally, especially, in preference to all others, above all, most of all (class.).
      Form potissime, Cels. 3, 6.
      Form potissimum: responde, quo leto censes me ut peream potissimum? Plaut. Merc. 2, 4, 15; Ter. And. 2, 6, 23: exsistat aliquis et potissimum Caecus ille, Cic. Cael. 14, 33; id. Mur. 2, 4: nos id potissimum consecuti sumus, id. Tusc. 5, 4, 11: tanta erat contentio, qui potissimum ex magno numero conscenderent, ut, Caes. B. C. 2, 43: quid agam? aut quo potissimum infelix accedam? Sall. J. 14, 15; Auct. Her. 3, 2, 2; Lact. 2, 18, 3.

1. pŏtītus, a, um, Part., from 1. potior.

2. Potitus, i, m., a Roman surname: C. Valerius Potitus, Liv. 4, 53.