Lewis & Short

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tento or tempto, āvi, ātum, 1 (part. gen. plur. tentantum, Verg. G. 2, 247), v. freq. a. [tendo], to handle, touch, feel a thing (class.; cf.: tango, tracto).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: rem manu, Auct. Her. 4, 49, 62: manibus pectora, Ov. M. 10, 282; 10, 289: loca feminarum digitis, Col. 8, 11, 8: ficum rostro, Ov. F. 2, 254: flumen vix pede (with attingere), Cic. Leg. 2, 3, 6: quadratum, Lucr. 4, 234: caput in tenebris, Phaedr. 3, 10, 26: pullos singulos, Col. 8, 5, 17: invisos amictus, Verg. G. 3, 563: aciem pugionum, Suet. Ner. 49; cf.: acumen stili, id. Rhet. 5: bracchia emittit temptanti maria similis Sarpedon, Plin. 5, 27, 27, § 98: pullos, Col. 8, 5, 17; 8, 11, 8.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. In medic. lang.: venas, to feel the pulse, Quint. 11, 3, 88; Suet. Tib. 72; Ov. H. 20, 139.
      2. 2. To try the strength of, make an attempt upon, i. e. to attack, assail (cf.: aggredior, adorior).
          1. (α) Of warfare: scalis et classe moenia oppidi tentans, Caes. B. C. 3, 40: opera nostra, id. B. G. 7, 73: urbem, Liv. 33, 5, 3; 26, 38, 5: munitiones, id. 9, 35, 1: moenia Aiexandriae, id. 45, 11: Achaiam, Caes. B. C. 3, 55 Britanniam, Suet. Claud. 17: aggredi et tentare, Vell. 2, 113, 3: aliquem auxiliis Thraciae, Flor. 2, 14, 4.
          2. (β) Of disease, poison, etc.: animi valentes morbo tentari non possunt, corpora possunt, Cic. Tusc. 4, 14, 31; cf.: gravis auctumnus omnem exercitum valetudine tentaverat, Caes. B. C. 3, 2: temptari a morbo, Plin. 24, 19, 113, § 174: praecordiorum inflatione tentari, Suet. Aug. 81: tentatus est motiunculis levibus, id. Vesp. 24; Hor. S. 2, 3, 163; id. Ep. 1, 6, 28; Verg. G. 3, 441 al.: vina temptant caput, attack, affect, Plin. 23, 1, 20, § 35.
            Absol.: temptantis aquas non nocere, unwholesome, Plin. 20, 7, 26, § 68; cf. Verg. G. 2, 94.
  2. II. Transf., to try; to prove, put to the test; to attempt, essay a course of action, etc. (so most freq.; syn.: experior, periclitor).
    1. A. In gen., constr. with acc., with inf., with rel.-clause, with ut, or absol.
          1. (α) With acc.: cum se ipse perspexerit totumque tentarit, intelleget, etc., Cic. Leg. 1, 22, 59; cf.: se in arte memoriae, Quint. 11, 2, 34 (preceded by memoriam suam experiri): tentarem te, quo animo accipias, Cic. Fam. 15, 16, 3: quo utamur quasi equis temptatis, sic amicitiā aliquā parte periclitatis moribus amicorum, id. Lael. 17, 63; alicujus scientiam auguratus, id. Div. 1, 17, 32: tentarem summi regis prudentiam, id. Tusc. 1, 41, 98: ut satis impulsas tentavit pollice chordas, Ov. M. 10, 145: culturam agelli, Lucr 5, 1368: iter per provinciam per vim, Caes B. G. 1, 14: negatā iter viā, Hor. C. 3, 2, 22 Bosporum, id. ib. 3, 4, 31: Thetim ratibus, Verg. E. 4, 32: Oceanum, Tac. G. 34 fin.: Istrum, Claud. Cons. Prob. et Olybr. 135: aditus, Verg. A. 4, 293: temptanda via est, id. G. 3, 8: ad tentandum vadum fluminis, Curt. 4, 9, 15: nullo modo animus audientis aut incitari aut leniri potest, qui modus a me non tentatus sit, Cic. Or. 38, 132: rem frustra, Caes. B. C. 1, 26: belli fortunam, id. B. G. 1, 36; so, fortunam, id. ib. 3, 6; 7, 64; Sall. J. 7, 1: periculum, Cic. Cornel. Fragm. 1: quaestionem, id. Clu. 57, 157: patientiam vestram, id. Agr. 2, 7, 19: spem pacis, Liv. 21, 12, 3; cf.: spem triumphi, id. 28, 38, 4: libertatem, id. 6, 18, 11: relationem, id. 33, 23, 3: intercessionem, id. 9, 8, 13: silentium nequicquam per praeconem, id. 8, 33, 2: crimina, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 80: majora, id. ib. 1, 17, 24: caelestia, id. ib. 1, 17, 34 et saep.
          2. (β) With rel.-clause: tentavi, quid in eo genere possem, Cic. Tusc. 1, 4, 7: tentabam, spiraret an non, Plaut. Mil. 4, 8, 26: quae sit fortuna facillima, temptat, Verg. A. 11, 761: cum tentaret si qua res esset cibi, something to eat, Phaedr. 4, 7, 4: tenta, Chrysogonus quanti doceat, Juv. 7, 175.
          3. (γ) With inf.: aquā prohibere hostem tentare coepit, Hirt. B. G. 8, 40: tentabo etiam de hoc dicere, Quint. 6, 2, 29; 2, 14, 1: (sol) caelum radiis accendere tentans, Lucr. 5, 659: tentarunt aequore tingi, Ov. M. 2, 172: (vestis) frustra tentata revelli, id. ib. 9, 168: taurus irasci in cornua temptat, Verg. A. 12, 104: nemo in sese tentat descendere, Pers. 4, 23: litteras deferre, Curt. 3, 7, 13; Juv. 7, 5.
          4. (δ) With ut: cum ille Romuli senatus tentaret post Romuli excessum, ut ipse gereret sine rege rem publicam, Cic. Rep. 2, 12, 23: quid aliud hoc judicio tentatur, nisi ut id fieri liceat? id. Rosc. Am. 5, 13; Suet. Caes. 11.
            Impers. pass.: tentatum a L. Sextio tribuno plebis, ut rogationem ferret, etc., Liv. 4, 49, 6.
            (ε) Absol.: tenta quā lubet, Plaut. Aul. 4, 4, 20: ne tentando cautiorem faceret, Hirt. B. G. 8, 23.
    2. B. In partic., to try any one, in a friendly or hostile manner; to urge, incite; to tempt, sound, tamper with; also, to excite, disquiet, disturb, agitate: quem ego toties omni ratione tentans ad disputandum elicere non potuissem, Cic. de Or. 2, 3, 13: cum per Drusum saepe tentassem, id. ib. 1, 21, 97: utrum admonitus an tentatus an, etc. … pervenerit ad hanc improbitatem nescio, id. Verr. 2, 1, 41, § 105: cum a proximis impetrare non possent, ulteriores tentant, Caes. B. G. 6, 2: animos servorum spe et metu, ut, etc., Cic. Clu. 63, 176: animos popularium, Sall. J. 48, 1: animos singulorum ad res novas, Suet. Tib. 12 fin.: animum precando, Verg. A. 4, 113: judicium pecunia, Cic. Clu. 4, 9; 30, 80: aliquem promissis et minis, Tac. H. 1, 75; cf.: tentatā Othonianorum fide per colloquium et promissa, id. ib. 2, 20: tribunos de fugae societate, Suet. Ner. 47: deos multā caede bidentium, Hor. C. 3, 23, 14: Junonem tentare Ixion ausus, Tib. 1, 3, 73; cf. Ov. A. A. 1, 389; Val. Max. 6, 1, 7: nationes lacessere bello et tentare, to agitate, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 9, 23; cf.: ut exsul potius tentare quam consul vexare rem publicam posses, id. Cat. 1, 10, 27: in his rebus evertendis unius hominis senectus, infirmitas solitudoque tentata est, id. Rab. Perd. 1, 2: militis iras, Luc. 2, 529; Vulg. Gen. 22, 1 et saep.