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.

prae-cĭno, cĭnŭi (e. g. praecinuit, Plin. 2, 12, 9, § 54), centum, 3, v. n. and a. [cano].

  1. I. Neutr., to sing or play before (class.): et deorum pulvinaribus et epulis magistratuum fides praecinunt, Cic. Tusc. 4, 2, 4: praecinere sibi tibias jussit, Flor. 2, 2, 10: praecinente citharā, Gell. 1, 11, 6: tubā praecinente, sounding beforehand, Flor. 2, 16, 5.
    1. B. In partic., to utter an incantation: carmine cum magico praecinuisset anus, Tib. 1, 5, 12.
  2. II. Act., to sing to one: gemitum, a funeral song, Stat. S. 5, 3, 59.
    1. B. To foretell, predict: magnum aliquid deos populo Romano praemonstrare et praecinere, Cic. Har. Resp. 10, 20: lucos praecinuisse fugam, Tib. 2, 5, 74: lymphati futura praecinunt, Plin. 8, 46, 71, § 185: cursum sideris, foretell, id. 2, 12, 9, § 54: responsa, i. e. to give responses respecting the future, to utter predictions, id. 25, 9, 59, § 106.