Lewis Short
persĕcūtĭo (noun F) : id.
* A following after, a chasing, pursuing; a chase, pursuit.
* Lit.: bestiae,Dig. 41, 1, 44; so ib. 41, 1, 4; App. M. 4, p. 155, 1: pluviis persecutionem passi,Vulg. Sap. 16, 16; 11, 21.
* Transf.
* A prosecution, action, suit, Cic. Or. 41, 141 (dub.; al. praescriptionum); Dig. 46, 4, 18, § 1.
* A persecution, esp. of Christians, Tert. Spect. 27: De Fuga in Persecutione,the title of a treatise by Tertullian,Vulg. Matt. 5, 10 et saep.
* A following up, prosecution of an affair: negotii,App. M. 10, p. 252, 9.
Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary