I. Act., incautious, heedless, improvident, inconsiderate (class.; “syn. improvidus): ut in ipsum incautum atque etiam imparatum incideret,” Caes. B. G. 6, 30, 2; Cic. Rosc. Am. 7, 20: “Trebonius oppressus est ab hoste incautus,” id. Phil. 11, 2, 5; id. Planc. 22, 53; id. N. D. 2, 1, 1: “minime incautus patronus,” id. Brut. 70, 246: “ab secundis rebus incauti,” Liv. 5, 44, 6: “ad credendum pavor,” id. 9, 12, 8. — Comp.: “incautior fuissem, nisi, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 9, 24, 1: “juventa,” Liv. 30, 13, 14. — Sup.: “incautissimus quia credulus,” Sid. Ep. 8, 11. —
(β).
With ab, or the gen.: “a fraude,” Liv. 40, 5, 5: “futuri,” Hor. S. 1, 1, 35: “sui,” Stat. Th. 6, 766. —
II. Pass., not guarded against or that cannot be guarded against, unforeseen, unexpected, uncertain, dangerous (not in ante-Aug. prose): “scelus,” Lucr. 6, 390; cf.: “sic est incautum quidquid habetur amor,” Prop. 2, 4, 14 (v. 24 M.): “quod neglexeris incautum at que apertum habes,” Liv. 25, 38, 14: “iter hostibus,” Tac. A. 1, 50: “sub ictu,” Sil. 2, 99: “tenebrae,” Luc. 5, 500.— Hence, adv.: in-cautē , incautiously, inconsiderately: “adhuc stulte omnia et incaute,” Cic. Att. 7, 10: atque inconsulte pugnare. Liv. 7, 15, 9.— Comp.: “quod paulo incautius custodias in muro dispositas videbat,” Caes. B. G. 7, 27, 1: “sequi,” id. B. C. 3, 24, 2: “subit murum,” Liv. 21, 7, 10: “potes apparatius cenare apud multos: nusquam hilarius, simplicius, incautius,” more at ease, Plin. Ep. 1, 15, 4.— Sup.: ut se ipsos incautissime proderent, Aug. de Mor. Manich. fin.
