(verb) : aucŭpor, ātus, 1, and
* Act. [auceps], to go bird-catching or fowling.
* Lit.: Alio loco ut seras ac colas silvam caeduam, alio ubi aucupare,Varr. R. R. 1, 23, 5; Dig. 41, 1, 3.—Also of taking bees: spes aucupandi examina,Col. 3, 8, 8.
* Trop., to chase, give chase to, strive for, be on the look-out for, lie in wait for; watch for, etc. (a favorite figure in prose and poetry; in Cic. perh. twenty times; syn.: insidior, sequor): Viden scelestus ut aucupatur?how he gives chase?Plaut. Rud. 4, 4, 49: nos longis navibus tranquillitates aucupaturi eramus,Cic. Att. 6, 8, 4: tempus,id. Rosc Am. 8, 22: alicujus imbecillitatem,id. Fl. 37, 92: ut omni ex genere orationem aucuper, et omnis undique flosculos carpam atque delibem,id. Sest. 56, 119; Cic. Verr. 1, 3, 9; id. Or. 2, 7 fin.; 14, 59; 63, 256; 19, 63; id. Fin. 2, 22, 71: L. Cassio omnes ramusculos popularis aurae aucupante,id. Leg. 3, 16, 35; id. Fam. 5, 12, 6 al.: occasionem, Auct. B. Afr. 3 fin.: obtrectatione alienae scientiae famam sibi, Plin. H. N. praef. § 30; 33, 2, 8, § 32: studium populi ac favorem,Flor. 3, 13, 1: reconditas voces,Suet. Aug. 86: absentiam alicujus,Just. 29, 4: somnos,Ov. H. 13, 107.!*?
* Act. form aucŭpo, āre, to watch for, etc.: fructus verborum aures aucupant, Enn. ap. Non. p. 467, 14: prospectum aucupo, Pac. ib.: in consilio id reges Argivom aucupant, Att. ib.: id ego aucupavi, Titinn. ib.: Paulisper mane: Aucupemus ex insidiis clanculum quam rem gerant,Plaut. As. 5, 2, 31: num quis est, Sermonem nostrum qui aucupet,id. Most. 2, 2, 42; so Sen. Herc. Oet. 483: ex insidiis aucupa,Plaut. Men. 4, 1, 12: qui aucupet me quid agam,id. Mil. 4, 2, 5: Lepide, mecastor, aucupavi,id. Truc. 5, 72.—*
* Pass. form aucupor: Multa divulgata ac per rumorem vicissim aucupata discuntur,Lact. 5, 22.

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