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-scrībo, psi, ptum, 3, v. a., to write before, in front, or previously, to prefix in writing (syn.: praefinio, praestituo).

  1. I. Lit.: pagina nomen sibi quae Vari praescripsit, Verg. E. 6, 11: monimentis consulum nomina, Tac. A. 3, 57; cf.: praescriptum (sc. in signis) Vespasiani nomen, id. H. 3, 13: nomen ipsius virtutis libro, Gell. 11, 16, 7: epistula, cui titulus praescriptus est, pluria non plura dici debere, id. 5, 21, 10: auctoritates praescriptae, the recorded names of senators present when a decree was made, Cic. de Or. 3, 2, 5: ut praescripsimus, as we remarked before, Vell. 2, 21, 1.
    1. B. Transf., to trace out: praescripta lineamenta, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 92.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. To order, appoint, direct, command, prescribe: finem rebus, Ter. And. 1, 1, 124: sic enim praescripsimus iis, quibus ea negotia mandavimus, ut, etc., Cic. Fam. 13, 26, 2: cum ei praescriptum esset, ne, etc., id. Att. 16, 3, 6: iis praescribendus est imperandi modus, id. Leg. 3, 2, 5: lege aliquid, id. Clu. 53, 147: si ipse populo Romano non praescriberet, quemadmodum suo jure uteretur, etc., Caes. B. G. 1, 36: quid fieri oporteret, ipsi sibi praescribere poterant, id. ib. 2, 20: ut majorum jura moresque praescribunt, Cic. Font. 16, 36: curationem valetudinis, id. Div. 2, 59, 123: jura civibus, id. Sen. 9, 27: senatui quae sunt agenda, id. ib. 6, 18: praescribere et constituere aliquid, id. Caecin. 27, 76: praescribere aliquid et quasi imperare, id. Ac. 2, 3, 8: praescriptis verbis agendum est, Dig. 19, tit. 5, 2.
    2. B. In law, to bring an exception against, to except, object, or demur to: ignominioso patri filius praescribit, Quint. 7, 5, 3; Dig. 47, 15, 3.
    3. C. To dictate: carmina, Tib. 4, 1, 177.
    4. D. To write down, put down in writing: testamentum litteris, Dig. 29, 1, 40.
    5. E. (I. q. praetexere, obtentui sumere.) To use as a pretext: aliquem, Tac. A. 4, 52; 11, 16; cf. praescriptio, II. A.
  3. F. To describe or depict beforehand: tum (Nero) formam futuri principatūs praescripsit, Tac. A. 13, 4.
    Hence, praescriptum, i, n., something prescribed, a copy, task, lesson to imitate or to get by heart (class.).
    1. A. Lit.: puerile praescriptum, Sen. Ep. 94, 9: pueri ad praescriptum discunt, id. ib. 94, 51.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. A precept, order, rule: praescripta candida supremae calcis, i. e. metae, Lucr. 6, 92: omnia legum imperio et praescripto fieri videbitis, Cic. Clu. 53, 147; so, legis, Suet. Claud. 14; Amm. 14, 1, 5; 29, 1, 27: praescripta servare, Cic. Off. 1, 26, 92: ad praescriptum, according to order, Caes. B. G. 1, 36; id. B. C. 3, 51; Liv. 10, 22: ex communi praescripto civitatis, Cic. Inv. 2, 45, 132; cf.: ex Augusti praescripto, Suet. Ner. 10: hoc ejus praescripto, Caes. B. C. 1, 87 fin.: ultra praescriptum, beyond or contrary to rule, irregularly, illegally, Suet. Caes. 28.
      2. 2. The prescribed limits or bounds: intra praescriptum equitare, Hor. C. 2, 9, 23.