(verb) : lăcesso, īvi or ĭi, ītum, 3 (
* Inf. pass. lacessiri, Col. 9, 8, 3; 9, 15, 4; Ambros. Ep. 6, 1: lacessi,Liv. 31, 18, 4 al.; Lact. 5, 2, 2: lacessientium,Liv. 27, 12, 13: lacessiebant,id. 23, 46, 11), lacio; v. Roby, 1, § 625, to excite, provoke, challenge, exasperate, irritate (syn.: irrito, provoco).
* Lit.: aliquem ferro,Cic. Mil. 31, 84: sponsione me homo promtus lacessivit,id. Pis. 23, 55: tu ultro me maledictis lacessisti,id. Phil. 2, 1, 1: me amabis et scripto aliquo lacesses,by writing, force me to write in return,id. Fam. 12, 20: vetus si poeta non lacessisset prior,Ter. Phorm. prol. 14: hostes proelio,i. e. to attack, assail,Caes. B. G. 4, 11: aliquem bello,id. ib. 6, 5: Aeduos injuriā,id. ib. 1, 35: nos te nulla lacessiimus injuria,Cic. Fam. 11, 3, 1: Saguntini nec lacessentes nec lacessiti,Liv. 21, 11: aliquos lacessiturus bello,id. 28, 28; Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 10, 23: quorum alter relictus, alter lacessitus,id. ib. 2, 4: quid tam necessarium quam tenere semper arma, quibus ... to ulcisci lacessitus,id. de Or. 1, 8, 32: ne rudis agminum sponsus lacessat leonem,Hor. C. 3, 2, 11: Caesar neque cedentes tanto collis ascensu lacessendos judicabat,Hirt. B. G. 8, 14: aliquem capitaliter,to make a deadly attack upon one,Plin. Ep. 1, 5: (corpora) quae feriunt oculorum acies visumque lacessunt,to strike, meet,Lucr. 4, 217; 691; cf. id. 4, 597: nares odor lacessit,id. 4, 691: fores nondum reserati carceris acer nunc pede nunc ipsa fronte lacessit Equus,Ov. Tr. 5, 9, 30.—Poet.: aëra Sole lacessita ( = percussa radiis solis),struck with the sunbeams' glitter,Verg. A. 7, 527; cf. vindemia pluviisque aut ventis lacessita,Col. 3, 21, 5.
* Transf., in gen.
* To urge, arouse, excite, stimulate, shake, move: a quo non modo impulsi sumus ad philosophas scriptiones, verum Etiam lacessiti,Cic. Tusc. 1, 41, 121: ad scribendum,id. Att. 1, 13, 1: ad pugnam,Liv. 2, 45 init.: usus luxuriantis aetatis signaturas pretiosis gemmis coepit insculpere, et certatim haec omnis imitatio lacessivit,Macr. S. 7, 13, 11: aurigae manibusque lacessunt Pectora plausa cavis, pat them on their breasts (in order to animate them), Verg. A. 12, 85: pugnam,id. ib. 5, 429: bella,id. ib. 11, 254: ne quemquam voce lacessas,id. E. 3, 51: his se stimulis dolor ipse lacessit,Luc. 2, 42: Nilus spuma astra lacessit,id. 10, 320: taurus lacessit campum,Stat. Th. 12, 604: clamore sidera,Sil. 17, 387: deos (precibus),to assail, importune,Hor. C. 2, 18, 12: pelagus carinā,to stir, chafe,id. ib. 1, 35, 7.
* To call forth, arouse, produce: sermones,Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 7: ferrum,Verg. A. 10, 10.

s. TLL