to flatter in a cringing manner

ădūlor, ātūs, 1, v. dep. [acc. to Lobeck, the -ulo, -ulor is connected with illein (cf. eiluô, eluô, and volvo), and thus denoted orig. the wagging of the tail and fawning of brutes; Fest. p. 21 Müll., thought adulor was a form of adludo, to play with; cf. Ger. wedeln and Eng. to wheedle], to cling to one fawningly, to fawn as a dog; and trop., of cringing flattery, which is exhibited in words and actions, to flatter in a cringing manner, to fawn upon (while assentari signified to yield to one in everything, to assent to what he says, and is used only of men; and blandiri, to be soft and pleasing in manner, to flatter by honeyed words as well as by captivating manners; cf. Cic. Lael. 25).— Constr. with acc., more rarely with dat., Rudd. II. p. 136; Zumpt, § 389.

In gen.:

ferarum Agmen adulantum,

Ov. M. 14, 45:

Quin etiam blandas movere per aëra caudas, Nostraque adulantes comitant vestigia,

id. ib. 14, 257. caudam more adulantium canum blande movet, Gell. 5, 14:

hi (canes) furem quoque adulantur,

Col. 7, 12.— Meton.:

horrentem, trementem, adulantem omnīs videre te volui: vidi,

Cic. Pis. 41:

aperte adulantem nemo non videt,

id. Lael. 26:

aut adulatus aut admiratus fortunam sum alterius,

id. Div. 2, 2, 6;

Liv 45, 31: quemcunque principem,

Tac. H. 1, 32:

Neronem aut Tigellium,

id. A. 16, 19: dominum, Sen. de Ira, 2, 31; Nep., Liv., and Curt. have the dat.: Antonio, Nep. [p. 47] Att. 8:

praesentibus,

Liv. 36, 7:

singulis,

Curt. 4, 1, 19.—In the time of Quint. the use of the dat. was predominant: huic non hunc adulari jam dicitur, 9, 3, 1; yet Tac. preferred the acc., v. the passages cited above.—

Esp. of the servile reverence paid to Asiatic kings, proskunein; cf.

adulatio: more adulantium procubuerunt: conveniens oratio tam humili adulationi fuit,

Liv. 30, 16:

more Persarum,

Val. Max. 4, 7, ext. 2; so id. ib. 6, 3, ext. 2.—Hence, ădū-lans, antis, P. a., flattering, adulatory:

verba,

Plin. Pan. 26:

quid adulantius?

Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 27.— Sup. is wanting.—

* Adv.: ădūlanter, flatteringly, fawningly, Fulg. Contin. Verg. p. 153.