(verb) : prō-vŏco, āvi, ātum, 1, and n.
* To call forth, call out.
* Lit.
* In gen. (very rare): aliquem,Plaut. Ps. 2, 2, 43: ut ubi illaec prodeat, me provoces,id. Mil. 4, 3, 28; id. Bacch. 3, 3, 40: mandant, ut ad se provocet Simonidem,Phaedr. 4, 23, 25: dum rota Luciferi provocet orta diem,lead up, call forth,Tib. 1, 9, 62: Memnonis mater roseo provocet ore diem,Ov. P. 1, 4, 58; cf. id. F. 1, 456: provocare et elicere novas radiculas,Col. 3, 15, 5.
* Trop.
* To call out, challenge, invite one to any thing (as to play, sing, drink, fight, etc.): provocat me in aleam,challenged me to a game,Plaut. Curc. 2, 3, 75: pedibus,to a race,id. Ep. 5, 1, 58: aliquem tesseris,Macr. S. 1, 10: aliquem cantatum,Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 53: aliquem ad pugnam,Cic. Tusc. 4, 22, 49; cf. Liv. 8, 7, and Flor. 2, 17, 11 Duker: duces nec prohibere paucos temere provocantis volebant, nec, etc., Liv. 23, 16, 4: et oleo et mero viros provocant,Sen. Ep. 95, 21: aliquem ad bibendum,Vop. Firm. 4.
* In jurid. lang., to take a cause before a higher court, to appeal, make an appeal; in this signif. usually neutr., ad aliquem; act. only post-class., with the judge to whom the appeal is made as object (cf. appello).
* Neutr.: ut de majestate damnati ad populum provocent,Cic. Phil. 1, 9, 21; cf.: quam id rectum sit, tu judicabis; ne ad Catonem quidem provocabo,id. Att. 6, 1, 7: provoco ad populum,Liv. 8, 33: arreptus a viatore, Provoco, inquit,I appeal,id. 3, 56: si a duumviris provocarit, provocatione certato,id. 1, 26, 6; 3, 56: ab omni judicio poenāque provocari licere,Cic. Rep. 2, 31, 54.
* Act., to appeal to a judge (post-class.): si judicem provocent,Dig. 8, 28, 6: si praefectus urbi judicem dederit, ipse erit provocandus, qui eum judicem dederit,ib. 49, 3, 1.—Also: provocare judicium ad populum,to bring the decision before the people by appeal,Val. Max. 8, 1, 1; rarely, aliquem ad judicem,to cite, summon before,App. Flor. p. 360, 24.
* To challenge to a contest, to contend with, emulate, rival, vie with (post-Aug.): aliquem virtute,to vie with him in virtue,Plin. Ep. 2, 7, 4: elegia Graecos provocamus,Quint. 10, 1, 93; cf.: ea pictura naturam ipsam provocavit,Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 94.—Of things, Plin. 16, 8, 12, § 32: immensum latus Circi templorum pulchritudinem provocat,id. Pan. 51, 3.
* To challenge, incite, provoke to any thing: felicitas temporum, quae bonam conscientiam civium tuorum ad usum indulgentiae tuae provocat,Plin. Ep. 10, 12 (7) fin.: omni comitate ad hilaritatem et jocum provocare,Suet. Calig. 27; id. Claud. 21: tacentes ad communionem sermonis,id. Aug. 74.
* To excite, stimulate, exasperate, stir up, rouse with any thing (class.; syn.: irrito, lacesso): qui non solum a me provocatus sed etiam suā sponte solet, etc.,Cic. Fam. 1, 7, 3: aliquem beneficio,id. Off. 1, 15, 48: sermonibus,Caes. B. C. 1, 74: minis et verbis,Tac. H. 3, 24: bello,id. ib. 4, 17: injuriā,id. A. 14, 49 et saep.: ad iracundiam,Vulg. Isa. 63, 10; id. Deut. 4, 25.
* To call forth, occasion, produce, cause: officia comitate,Tac. H. 5, 1: mortem tot modis,Plin. 19, praef. 1, § 5: bellum,Tac. G. 35; Plin. Pan. 16.
* (Acc. to I. B. 2.) To appeal to any thing, to cite as authority or proof (late Lat.): ad litteras Pudentillae,App. Mag. 84, p. 326, 40: ad Judaeorum Codices provocare,Aug. Serm. 202, 3.

s. TLL