to denote beforehand

prae-monstro (old form praemo-stro, v. infra), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to show beforehand, to point out the way, to guide, direct.

In gen. ( poet.):

praemonstra docte, quid fabuletur,

Plaut. Pers. 1, 3, 68:

currenti spatium praemonstra,

Lucr. 6, 93:

te praemonstrante,

under thy guidance, Stat. Th. 1, 66:

praemostro tibi, ut,

I caution you, that, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 61 Brix ad loc.:

quae voluit mihi dixit, docuit et praemonstravit prius,

id. ib. 4, 2, 12.—

In partic., to denote beforehand, to predict, presage, prognosticate:

magnum aliquid populo Romano praemonstrare et praecinere,

Cic. Har. Resp. 10, 21:

ventos futuros, id. poët. Div. 1, 7, 13: hanc suavitatem praemonstratam efficaci auspicio,

Plin. 10, 29, 43, § 82.

prō-mitto, mīsi, missum, 3 (sync. forms:

promisti for promisisti,

Ter. Ad. 5, 8, 17; Cat. 110, 3:

promisse for promisisse,

id. 110, 5:

promissem,

Plaut. Bacch. 5, 1, 12; archaic inf. pass. promittier, id. ib. 4, 8, 32), v. a.

Lit., to let go forward, to send or put forth, to let hang down, let grow, etc. (rare;

not in Cic.): ramos vel ferro compescunt vel longius promittunt,

suffer to grow longer, Col. 5, 6, 11.—Reflex., to grow:

nec ulla arborum avidius se promittit,

Plin. 16, 26, 44, § 107.—Of the hair, the beard, to let hang down, let grow:

satis constat multos mortales capillum ac barbam promisisse,

Liv. 6, 16, 4; 5, 41; cf.:

pogoniae, quibus inferiore ex parte promittitur juba,

Plin. 2, 25, 22, § 89.— Transf.:

(Sonus lusciniae) promittitur revocato spiritu,

is drawn out, prolonged, Plin. 10, 29, 43, § 82;

Gallia est longe et a nostris litoribus huc usque promissa,

Mel. 1, 3; v. infra, P. a.—

Trop., of speech.

To say beforehand, to forebode, foretell, predict, prophesy (very rare):

praesertim cum, si mihi alterum utrum de eventu rerum promittendum esset, id futurum, quod evenit, exploratius possem promittere,

Cic. Fam. 6, 1, 5:

ut (di) primis minentur extis, bene promittant secundis,

id. Div. 2, 17, 38.—Of signs or omens, to forebode, portend:

pari in meliora praesagio in Caesaris castris omnia aves victimaeque promiserant,

Flor. 4, 7, 9:

promittunt omina poenas,

Val. Fl. 6, 730: clarum fore (Servium) visa circa caput flamma promiserat, Flor 1, 6, 1; 1, 7, 9.—Also, in gen., to denote beforehand:

stella... vindemiae maturitatem promittens,

Plin. 18, 31, 74, § 309.—

To promise, hold out, cause to expect, give hope or promise of, assure (class. and freq.; syn.: polliceor, spondeo, recipio), constr. with acc., an object-clause, or de:

domum,

Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 28:

sestertia septem,

Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 81:

carmen,

id. Epod. 14, 7, dona, Ov Tr. 4, 2, 7:

auxilium alicui,

id. M. 13, 325:

opem,

id. F 5, 247:

salutem,

Luc. 4, 235:

ea quae tibi promitto ac recipio,

Cic. Fam. 5, 8, 5:

si Neptunus quod Theseo promiserat, non fecisset,

id. Off. 1, 10, 32:

dii faxint, ut faciat ea quae promittit!

id. Att. 16, 1, 6.— With inf. (usu. fut. inf.):

promitto, recipio, spondeo, C. Caesarem talem semper fore civem, qualis hodie sit,

Cic. Phil. 5, 18, 51; cf.:

promitto, in meque recipio fore eum, etc.,

id. Fam. 13, 10, 3:

quem inimicissimum futurum esse promitto et spondeo,

id. Mur. 41, 90:

surrepturum pallam promisit tibi,

Plaut. As. 5, 2, 80; id. Aul. 2, 2, 42; cf. id. Men. 5, 4, 6:

promisit Apollo Ambiguam tellure novā Salamina futuram,

Hor. C. 1, 7, 28; id. S. 1, 6, 34.—With inf. pres.:

si operam dare promittitis,

Plaut. Trin. prol. 5; id. Bacch. 4, 8, 79; id. Rud. 2, 6, 56: magorum vanitas ebrietati eas resistere [p. 1465] promittit, Plin. 37, 9, 40, § 124; cf.:

se remedium afferer tantamque vim morbi levaturum esse promisit,

Curt. 3, 6, 2 monstrare, Amm. 22, 7, 5:

promittere oratorem,

to give promise of becoming, Sen. Contr 4, 29, 10; cf.:

per ea scelera se parricidam,

excite fears lest he become, Quint. Decl. 1, 6:

me Promisi ultorem,

Verg. A. 2, 96.—With de:

de alicujus voluntate promittere,

Cic. Fam. 7, 5, 1:

de me tibi sic promitto atque confirmo, me, etc.,

id. ib. 3, 10, 1; Hor. S. 1, 4, 103:

promittere damni infecti,

i. e. to promise indemnification for, become answerable for the possible damage, Cic. Top 4, 22.—

With ut and subj.:

promiserat ut daret,

Vulg. 2 Par. 21, 7.—Of things' terra ipsa promittit (aquas), gives promise of, leads one to expect water, Plin. 31, 3, 27, § 45:

debet extremitas (picturae) sic desinere, ut promittat alia post se,

to lead one to suppose, to suggest, id. 35, 10, 36, § 68; Sen. Hippol. 569.—

In partic.

To promise to come, to engage one's self to meet any one, to dine, sup, etc., Plaut. Stich. 3, 2, 19 sq.; 4, 2, 16:

ad fratrem,

Cic. de Or. 2, 7, 27:

ad cenam mihi,

Phaedr. 4, 23, 15; Petr. 10; so,

tibi me promittere noli,

to expect me, Ov. M. 11, 662.—

To promise something to a deity, i. e. to vow:

donum Jovi dicatum atque promissum,

Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 72, § 184:

nigras pecudes Diti,

Tib. 3, 5, 33; Juv 13, 233; Petr 88; Flor. 1, 11, 4.—

To offer as a price (post-Aug.):

pro domo sestertium millies promittens,

Plin. 17. 1, 1, § 3. —Hence, prōmissus, a, um, P a.

Lit., hanging down, long; of the hair: coma, Varr. ap. Non. 362, 32; Liv. 38, 17, 3; Ov. Tr. 4, 2, 34:

Britanni capillo sunt promisso,

Caes. B. G. 5, 14; so,

capillus,

Nep. Dat. 3, 1:

barba,

Verg. E. 8, 34; Liv. 2, 23, 4:

barba omnibus promissa erat,

id. 5, 41, 9; Plin. Ep. 2, 7, 7; Just. 4, 4, 1.—Of the dewlap:

boves palearibus amplis et paene ad genua promissis,

Col. 6, 1, 3.—Of the belly:

sues ventre promisso,

Col. 7, 9, 1.—

Subst.: prōmissum, i, n., a promise (very freq. in prose and poetry; cf.

promissio, pollicitatio),

Cic. Verr 2, 5, 53, § 139:

voto quodam et promisso teneri,

id. Att. 12, 18, 1:

constantia promissi,

id. ib. 4, 17, 1:

promissum absolvere,

Varr. R. R. 2, 11, 1:

facere,

Cic. Off. 1, 10, 31; 3, 25, 95:

exigere,

id. ib. 3, 25, 94:

ludere aliquem promisso inani,

Ov. F. 3, 685.—In plur.:

pacta et promissa servare,

Cic. Off. 3, 24, 92:

illis promissis standum non est, quae, etc.,

id. ib. 1, 10, 32:

promissis manere,

Verg. A. 2, 160:

promissa firmare,

Ov. M. 10, 430:

multa fidem promissa levant,

Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 10:

dic aliquid dignum promissis,

id. S. 2, 3, 6:

quo promissa (Ennii) cadant,

i. e. the expectations which he raises, id. Ep. 2, 1, 52:

promissa dare,

to make promises, Cat. 63, 239; to fulfil, Ov. M. 2, 51.