ĭmĭtor, ātus, 1 (archaic
* Inf. pres. imitarier, Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 25; Lucr. 5, 1377), v. freq. a. dep. [root im-, cf. aemulus], to imitate.
* To represent, to express, copy, portray (class.): summum illum luctum penicillo,to portray,Cic. Or. 22, 74; cf.: oris (Coae Veneris) pulchritudo reliqui corporis imitandi spem auferebat,id. Off. 3, 2, 10: aut Ialysi aut Coae Veneris pulchritudinem,id. Or. 2, 5; id. Brut. 18, 70: chirographum,id. N. D. 3, 30, 74; id. Fam. 9, 20, 2: faber ungues Exprimet et molles imitabitur aere capillos,Hor. A. P. 33; cf.: argillā quidvis imitabitur udā,id. Ep. 2, 2, 8: hunc in persona lenonis,Cic. Rosc. Com. 7, 20: populi speciem et nomen,id. Rep. 3, 33: antiquitatem,id. Brut. 36, 137; cf.: heroum veteres casus fictosque luctus imitari atque adumbrare dicendo,id. de Or. 5, 47, 380: imitans, ut est mos, facta et dicta vivi,Suet. Vesp. 19: sine imitandorum carminum actu ludiones,not expressing by gesticulation,Liv. 7, 2, 4: gaudia falsa,Tib. 3, 6, 33; cf. maestitiam,Tac. A. 1, 24: quaecumque (pictura) imitata figuram est,Juv. 6, 341.— Poet.: putre solum imitamur arando, i. e. to make loose or friable, Verg. G. 2, 204: robore duro Stipitibus ferrum sudibusque imitantur obustis,replace, substitute, supply the place of,id. A. 11, 894: pocula vitea fermento atque sorbis,id. G. 3, 380; cf.: diuturni mores consensu utentium comprobati legem imitantur,Just. Inst. 1, 2, 9.
* To imitate, to act like, copy after, seek to resemble, counterfeit something (so most freq.): imitabor nepam,Plaut. Cas. 2, 8, 7: imitabor ergo Aratum, qui magnis de rebus dicere exordiens, a Jove incipiendum putat,Cic. Rep. 1, 36; cf.: imitor Archytam,id. ib. 1, 38: Platonem,id. Ac. 1, 3, 10: aliquem imitando effingere atque exprimere,id. de Or. 2, 22, 90; cf.: quem (eloquentem) si imitari atque exprimere non possumus,id. Or. 5, 19: quem postea imitati sunt multi, aequavit nemo,Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 126: ipsi sibi imitandi fuerunt,Cic. Or. 53, 177: qui maxime imitandus, et solus imitandus est,Quint. 10, 2, 24; cf.: tu mihi maxime imitabilis, maxime imitandus videbaris,Plin. Ep. 7, 20, 4: noster ille amicus, dignus huic ad imitandum,Cic. Rep. 1, 1 Mos.: populi consuetudinem,id. ib. 2, 20: non dicam plura, ne, in quo te objurgem, id ipsum videar imitari,id. Fam. 3, 8, 6: in adeundis periculis consuetudo imitanda medicorum est,id. Off. 1, 24, 83: quod faciendum imitandumque est omnibus, ut, etc.,id. Lael. 19, 70: factum praeclarum expositum ad imitandum,id. Phil. 2, 44, 114: in qua (sc. domo) sollicitas imitatur janua portas,resembles,Juv. 7, 42.!*?
* Act. form ĭmĭto, āre (anteclass.): si malos imitabo, Liv. Andr. ap. Non. 473, 22 (Fragm. Trag. v. 1 Rib.): tuum opus nemo imitare potest,Varr. ib. 21.
* Ĭmĭtātus, a, um, in pass. signif.: imitata et efficta simulacra,Cic. Univ. 3, 6: cum sint alii veri affectus, alii ficti et imitati,Quint. 11, 3, 61: nec abest imitata voluptas,Ov. M. 9, 481; Avien. Fab. 5, 17.

s. TLL