I.v. dep. a. and n. Sanscr. madh-a, wisdom; Gr. μάθος, μανθάνω, μήδομαι; cf.: medeor, re-med-ium, etc.; act., to think or reflect upon, to muse over, consider, meditate upon; neutr., to think, reflect, muse, consider, meditate; to design, purpose, intend, etc.; constr. with acc., with ad, de, with dat., with inf., with a rel.-clause, or absol. (class.).
I. Lit.
(α).
With acc.: “semulque cursuram meditabor ad ludos Olympios,” Plaut. Stich. 2, 1, 34: “ea para, meditare, cogita, quae, etc.,” Cic. Fam. 2, 5, 2: “nihil aliud cogitare, meditari, curare nisi, etc.,” id. Rep. 1, 22, 35: “forum, subsellia, rostra curiamque,” id. de Or. 1, 8, 32: “fugam ad legiones,” Suet. Tib. 65: “cor tuum meditabitur timorem,” i. e. promote by meditation, Vulg. Isa. 33, 18.—
(β).
With ad; ne ad eam rem meditere, Cic. Fam. 2, 3, 1: “ad hujus vitae studium meditati illi sunt qui feruntur labores tui,” id. Cat. 1, 10, 26.—
(δ).
With dat. (ante-class.): “nugis,” Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 107. —(ε) With inf.: “jam designatus alio incessu esse meditabatur,” Cic. Agr. 2, 5, 13: “multos annos regnare meditatus magno labore,” id. Phil. 2, 45, 116: “cum animo meditaretur proficisci in Persas,” Nep. Ages. 4.— (ζ) With a rel.-clause: “ea nunc meditabor quo modo illi dicam,” Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 42: “meditabor, quo modo cum illo loquar,” Cic. Att. 9, 17, 1: “quid contra dicerem, mecum ipse meditabor,” id. N. D. 3, 1, 1: “meditare, quibus verbis incensam illius cupiditatem comprimas,” id. Pis. 25, 59.— (η) Absol.: “multis modis meditatus egomet mecum sum,” Plaut. Bacch. 3, 2, 1: “egressus ad meditandum in agro,” Vulg. Gen. 24, 63. —
II. Transf., to meditate, study, exercise one's self in, practise a thing: “nugas est meditatus male,” Plaut. Ps. 4, 7, 107: “Demosthenes perfecit meditando, ut nemo planius esse locutus putaretur,” Cic. de Or. 1, 61, 260; cf.: “Demosthenes in litore meditans,” Quint. 10, 3, 30: “quid Crassus ageret meditandi aut discendi causā,” Cic. de Or. 1, 30, 136: “aut in foro dicere aut meditari extra forum,” id. Brut. 88, 302: “musam,” Verg. E. 1, 2: “arma,” Veg. Mil. 1, 20: “proelia,” Juv. 4, 112.—Transf., of animals: “cervi editos partus exercent cursu, et fugam meditari docent,” to practise flight, Plin. 8, 32, 50, § 113.—Of things: semper cauda scorpionis in ictu est: nulloque momento meditari cessat, to move as in readiness to strike, i. e. to threaten, Plin. 11, 25, 30, § 87: “semina meditantur aristas,” Prud. Cath. 10, 132; also, to murmur, utter a sad cry: “clamabo, meditabor ut columba,” Vulg. Isa. 38, 14; 59, 11.—
III. In pass. signif. (in verb. fin. post-class. and very rare): “adulteria meditantur,” Min. Fel. Oct. 25, 1.—But freq. in part. perf.: mĕdĭtā-tus , a, um.
A. Exercised, practised, instructed (only Plautin.): “cumque huc ad adulescentem meditatum probe mittam,” Plaut. Trin. 3, 3, 88: “probe meditatam utramque duco,” id. Mil. 3, 3, 29: “murmura,” Juv. 6, 539.—
B. Thought upon, meditated, weighed, considered, studied: “meditati sunt doli docte,” Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 30: “ea, quae meditata et praeparata inferuntur,” Cic. Off. 1, 8, 27: “meditatum et cogitatum scelus,” id. Phil. 2, 34, 85: “meditatum cogitatumque verbum,” id. ib. 10, 2, 6: “accuratae et meditatae commentationes,” id. de Or. 1, 60, 257: “oratio,” Plin. 26, 3, 7, § 12: “doli,” Plaut. Ps. 4, 1, 31: meditata et composita oratio (opp. extemporized), Suet. Aug. 84. —Subst.: mĕdĭtāta , ōrum, n., a carefully prepared speech: “sive meditata sive subita proferret,” Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 2.—Hence, adv.: mĕdĭtātē , thoughtfully, designedly, intentionally (ante-class. and post-Aug.): “ne tu illorum mores perquam meditate tenes,” knowest thoroughly, Plaut. Bacch. 3, 6, 16: “hau male meditate male dicax es,” id. Curc. 4, 2, 26: “effundere probra,” Sen. Const. Sap. 11, 3.