Lewis & Short

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verso (vorso), āvi, ātum, 1 (inf. vorsarier, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 53), v. freq. a. [verto], to turn, wind, twist, or whirl about often or violently (freq. and class.; syn.: verto, contorqueo).

  1. I. Lit.: qui caelum versat stellis fulgentibus aptum, Enn. ap. Macr. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 30 Vahl.): Sisyphus versat Saxum, Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 5, 10: turbinem puer, Tib. 1, 5, 4: turdos in igni, Hor. S. 1, 5, 72: ova non acri favillā, Ov. M. 8, 667: cum versati appositi essent pisces, Quint. 6, 3, 90: vinclorum inmensa volumina, Verg. A. 5, 408: manum, Ov. M. 12, 493: lumina, id. ib. 5, 134; 6, 247; 7, 579: cardinem, id. ib. 4, 93: fusum, id. ib. 4, 221; 6, 22: corpus, id. Am. 1, 2, 4: sortem urnā, to shake, Hor. C. 2, 3, 26: ligonibus glaebas, to turn up, hoe, id. ib. 3, 6, 39; so, rura (juvenci), Prop. 4 (5), 1, 129: terram, Ov. R. Am. 173: desectum gramen, hay, id. M. 14, 646: currum in gramine, i. e. to wheel about, Verg. A. 12, 664: oves, to drive about, pasture, id. E. 10, 68: pulsat versatque Dareta, id. A. 5, 460: me versant in litore venti, id. ib. 6, 362: vos exemplaria Graeca Nocturnā versate manu, versate diurnā, turn them over, i. e. read, study them, Hor. A. P. 269: et nummulario non ex fide versanti pecunias manus amputavit, handling, accounting for, Suet. Galb. 9.
    With se, or mid., to turn one’s self often, to turn, revolve, etc.: versabat se in utramque partem, non solum mente, verum etiam corpore, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 30, § 74.
    Prov.: satis diu jam hoc saxum vorso, I have wasted time enough with this man, Ter. Eun. 5, 8, 55.
    Mid.: mundum versari circum axem caeli, Cic. N. D. 1, 20, 52: qui (orbes) versantur retro, id. Rep. 6, 17, 17: pars superior mundi non versatur in turbinem, Sen. Ira, 3, 6, 1: suāpte naturā et cylindrum volvi et versari turbinem putat, Cic. Fat. 18, 42: ne versari aves possent, Col. 8, 7, 1.
    1. B. Trop.
      1. 1. In gen., to turn, twist, bend: versare suam naturam et regere ad tempus atque huc et illuc torquere et flectere, Cic. Cael. 6, 13: ad omnem malitiam et fraudem versare mentem suam coepit, id. Clu. 26, 70: eadem multis modis, id. Or. 40, 137: causas, i. e. to treat, manage, id. ib. 9, 31; Quint. 10, 5, 9; cf. absol.: non mille figuris variet ac verset (orator)? id. 5, 14, 32: verba, to pervert, alter, Cic. Fin. 4, 20, 56: fors omnia versat, turns, changes, Verg. E. 9, 5; so mid.: versatur celeri Fors levis orbe rotae, Tib. 1, 5, 70: huc et illuc, Torquate, vos versetis licet, etc., Cic. Fin. 2, 31, 99: in quo, utrum respondebo, verses te huc atque illuc necesse est, id. ib. 5, 28, 86: versabat se ad omnis cogitationes, Curt. 6, 6, 27.
      2. 2. In partic. (rare in Cic.).
        1. a. Qs. to turn upside down, i. e. to discompose, disturb, vex, agitate: versabo ego illum hodie, si vivo, probe, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 5, 6; id. Pers. 5, 2, 17: haerere homo, versari, rubere, to be disturbed, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 76, § 187: si quid te adjuero curamve levasso Quae nunc te coquit et versat in pectore fixa, Enn. ap. Cic. Sen. 1, 1 (Ann. v. 340 Vahl.): miserum toto cubili, Prop. 1, 14, 21: illum toto versant suspiria lecto, id. 2, 22, 47 (3, 16, 5): odiis domos, to overthrow, ruin, subvert, Verg. A. 7, 336: ille placet, versatque domum, neque verbera sentit, i. e. disturbs without being punished, Ov. Am. 2, 2, 29: sic fortuna in contentione et certamine utrumque versavit, ut alter alteri inimicus auxilio salutique esset, alternated with, treated each in turn, Caes. B. G. 5, 44 fin.: pectora, id. ib. 2, 45: muliebrem animum in omnes partes, Liv. 1, 58, 3: patrum animos, id. 1, 17, 1: pectora (nunc indignatio nunc pudor), id. 2, 45, 5; cf.: spesque timorque animum versat utroque modo, Prop. 3, 17 (4, 16), 12.
        2. b. To turn over a thing in the mind, to think over, meditate, or reflect upon, revolve, consider; to transact, carry on (cf.: volvo, agito): multas res simitu in meo corde vorso, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 1: versarent in animis secum unamquamque rem, Liv. 3, 34, 4: illa dolos dirumque nefas in pectere versat, Certa mori, Verg. A. 4, 563; so, dolos, id. ib. 2, 62: versate diu, quid ferre recusent, Quid valeant umeri, Hor. A. P. 39: ubi maxima rerum momenta versantur, Quint. 8, 3, 13: versenturque omni modo numeri, examined, considered, id. 10, 3, 5; 10, 5, 9: somnia decies, to interpret, Prop. 2, 4, 16: multum igitur domi ante versandi sunt (testes), variis percontationibus, etc., examined, practised, Quint. 5, 7, 11.
  2. II. Transf., in the mid. form, versor (vor-sor), ātus, 1, prop. to move about in a place, i. e. to dwell, live, remain, stay, abide, be in a place or among certain persons; constr. most freq. with in aliquā re; also with inter, intra, apud, and cum.
    1. A. Lit.: vorsari crebro hic cum viderent me domi, Plaut. Am. prol. 128: in medio pariete, id. Cas. 1, 52: non ad solarium, non in campo, non in conviviis versatus est, Cic. Quint. 18, 59: in fundo, id. Mil. 20, 53: in castris, Caes. B. G. 2, 24: inter aciem, id. ib. 1, 52; cf.: nec versari inter eos sine dedecore potero, Cic. Att. 10, 8, 3: intra vallum, Caes. B. C. 3, 96: alicui inter femina, Suet. Tib. 44: nobiscum versari jam diutius non potes, Cic. Cat. 1, 5, 10; apud praefectos regis, Nep. Con. 2, 4.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. In gen., to be; to be circumstanced or situated: nescis, quantis in malis vorser miser, Ter. And. 4, 1, 25: certe ego te in medio versantem turbine leti Eripui, Cat. 64, 149: ergo illi nunc in pace versantur, Cic. Phil. 8, 2, 6: in clarissimā luce, id. Off. 2, 13, 44: Minturnenses aeternā in laude versantur, id. Planc. 10, 26: in simili culpā, Caes. B. C. 3, 110: mihi ante oculos dies noctesque versaris, Cic. Fam. 14, 2, 3: nec versantur omnino scripta eorum inter manus hominum, i. e. are read, Dig. 1, 2, 2.
        Of abstract subjects: numquam tibi populi Romani dignitas, numquam species ipsa hujusmodi multitudinis in oculis animoque versata est? Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 55, § 144: mors, exsilium mihi ob oculos versabantur, id. Sest. 21, 47: haec omnia in eodem errore versantur, id. N. D. 3, 10, 25; id. Tusc. 1, 44, 107: aliquid in dubitatione versatur, id. Rep. 2, 15, 29: Mithridaticum bellum, in multā varietate versatum, waged with many vicissitudes, id. Arch. 9, 21.
      2. 2. In partic., to occupy or busy one’s self with any action, to be engaged in any thing.
        1. a. Of persons.
          1. (α) With in and abl. (class.): opifices omnes in sordidā arte versantur, Cic. Off. 1, 42, 150: in omnibus ingenuis artibus, id. Fam. 4, 3, 4: versabor in re difficili, id. Leg. 3, 15, 33: in re publicā atque in his vitae periculis laboribusque, id. Arch. 12, 30; ullā in cogitatione acrius ac diligentius versari, id. Rep. 1, 22, 35: si diutius in hoc genere verser, id. ib. 1, 46, 70: multum in imperiis, Nep. Milt. 8, 2.
          2. (β) With circa and acc. (post-Aug.): circa mensuras ac numeros non versabitur (orator)? Quint. 2, 21, 19.
          3. (γ) With inter: inter arma ac studia versatus, Vell. 1, 13, 3.
        2. b. Of abstract subjects.
          1. (α) With in and abl. (class.): haec omnia in eodem quo illa Zenonis errore versantur, depend on, Cic. N. D. 3, 10, 25: dicendi omnis ratio in hominum more et sermone versatur, is occupied with, concerns, Cic. de Or. 1, 3, 12: ejus omnis oratio versata est in eo, ut, etc., id. ib. 1, 57, 244; cf.: imitatio est posita fere in eludendo, sed versatur etiam in factis, Quint. 9, 2, 58: ipsae res in perfacili cognitione versantur Cic. Or. 35, 122; quae omnes artes in veri investigatione versantur, id. Off. 1, 6, 19: omnia quae in causā versarentur, Quint. 7, 1, 4: epilogi omnes in eādem fere materiā versari solent, id. 7, 4, 19; 2, 4, 1: praejudiciorum vis omnis tribus in generibus versatur, id. 5, 2, 1.
          2. (β) With circa and acc. (post-Aug.): haec pars (tragoedia) circa iram, odium, metum, miserationem fere tota versatur, Quint. 6, 2, 20: circa quae versari videatur omnis quaestio, id. 3, 6, 23: quidam circa res omnes, quidam circa civiles modo versari rhetoricen putaverunt, id. 2, 15, 15.
          3. (γ) With abl.: itaque (finitio) pluribus legibus isdem quibus conjectura versatur, Quint. 7, 3, 1 (dub.; Halm, ex conj. in isdem).
        3. c. Part. perf.: homo in aliis causis exercitatus et in hac multum et saepe versatus, Cic. Quint. 1, 3: viri in rerum publicarum varietate versati, id. Rep. 3, 3, 4: semper inter arma ac studia versatus, Vell. 1, 13, 3.
          Absol.: is missum ad dilectus agendos Agricolam integreque ac strenue versatum praeposuit, etc., Tac. Agr. 7.

versor, āri, v. verso, II.