to pursue steadily

prĕmo, essi, essum, 3, v. a. [etym. dub.; cf. prelum], to press (class.).

Lit.:

pede pedem alicui premere,

Plaut. As. 4, 1, 30:

et trepidae matres pressere ad pectora natos,

Verg. A. 7, 518:

veluti qui sentibus anguem Pressit humi nitens,

id. ib. 2, 379:

novercae Monstra manu premens,

id. ib. 8, 288:

pressit et inductis membra paterna rotis,

i. e. drove her chariot over her father's body, Ov. Ib. 366:

trabes Hymettiae Premunt columnas,

press, rest heavily upon them, Hor. C. 2, 18, 3:

premere terga genu alicujus,

Ov. Am. 3, 2, 24:

ubera plena,

i. e. to milk, id. F. 4, 769:

vestigia alicujus,

to tread in, to follow one's footsteps, Tac. A. 2, 14:

nudis pressit qui calcibus anguem,

Juv. 1, 43:

dente frena,

to bite, to champ, Ov. M. 10, 704:

ore aliquid,

to chew, eat, id. ib. 5, 538; cf.:

aliquid morsu,

Lucr. 3, 663:

presso molari,

with compressed teeth, Juv. 5, 160:

pressum lac,

i. e. cheese, Verg. E. 1, 82.—In mal. part.:

Hister Peucen premerat Antro,

forced, Val. Fl. 8, 256:

uxorem,

Suet. Calig. 25.—Of animals:

feminas premunt galli,

Mart. 3, 57, 17.—

Transf.

Poet., to bear down upon, to touch:

premere litora,

Ov. M. 14, 416:

litus,

to keep close to the shore, Hor. C. 2, 10, 3:

aëra,

i. e. to fly, Luc. 7, 835.—

Poet., to hold fast, hold, firmly grasp:

premere frena manu,

Ov. M. 8, 37:

ferrum,

to grasp, Sil. 5, 670:

capulum,

id. 2, 615.—

Poet., to press a place with one's body, i. e. to sit, stand, lie, fall, or seat one's self on any thing:

toros,

Ov. H. 12, 30:

sedilia,

id. M. 5, 317:

hoc quod premis habeto,

id. ib. 5, 135:

et pictam positā pharetram cervice premebat,

id. ib. 2, 421:

humum,

to lie on the ground, id. Am. 3, 5, 16; cf. id. F. 4, 844:

frondes tuo premis ore caducas,

id. M. 9, 650; Sen. Hippol. 510.—

To cover, to conceal by covering (mostly poet.):

aliquid terrā,

to conceal, bury in the earth, Hor. Epod. 1, 33:

nonumque prematur in annum,

kept back, suppressed, id. A. P. 388:

omne lucrum tenebris alta premebat humus,

Ov. Am. 3, 8, 36:

ossa male pressa,

i. e. buried, id. Tr. 5, 3, 39; Plin. 2, 79, 81, § 191; hence, to crown, to cover or adorn with any thing:

ut premerer sacrā lauro,

Hor. C. 3, 4, 18:

molli Fronde crinem,

Verg. A. 4, 147:

canitiem galeā,

id. ib. 9, 612:

mitrā capillos,

Ov. F. 4, 517; cf. Verg. A. 5, 556.—

To make, form, or shape any thing by pressing ( poet.):

quod surgente die mulsere horisque diurnis, Nocte premunt,

they make into cheese, Verg. G. 3, 400:

os fingit premendo,

id. A. 6, 80:

caseos,

id. E. 1, 35:

mollem terram,

Vulg. Sap. 15, 7; Calp. Ecl. 5, 34.—

To press hard upon, bear down upon, to crowd, pursue closely:

hostes de loco superiore,

Caes. B. G. 7, 19:

Pompeiani nostros premere et instare coeperunt,

id. B. C. 3, 46:

hac fugerent Graii, premeret Trojana juventus,

Verg. A. 1, 467:

Pergamenae naves cum adversarios premerent acrius,

Nep. Hann. 11, 5:

hinc Rutulus premit, et murum circumsonat armis,

Verg. A. 8, 473:

obsidione urbem,

Caes. B. G. 7, 32.—Of the pursuit or chase of animals:

ad retia cervum,

Verg. G. 3, 413:

spumantis apri cursum clamore,

id. A. 1, 324:

bestias venatione,

Isid. 10, 282.—

To press down, burden, load, freight:

nescia quem premeret,

on whose back she sat, Ov. M. 2, 869:

tergum equi,

id. ib. 8, 34;

14, 343: et natat exuviis Graecia pressa suis,

Prop. 4, 1, 114 (5, 1, 116):

pressae carinae,

Verg. G. 1, 303:

pressus membra mero,

Prop. 2, 12 (3, 7), 42:

magno et gravi onere armorum pressi,

Caes. B. G. 4, 24:

auro phaleras,

to adorn, Stat. Th. 8, 567.—

To press into, force in, press upon:

(caprum) dentes in vite prementem,

Ov. F. 1, 355:

presso sub vomere,

Verg. G. 2, 356; cf.:

presso aratro,

Tib. 4, 1, 161:

alte ensem in corpore,

Stat. Th. 11, 542:

et nitidas presso pollice finge comas,

Prop. 3, 8 (4, 9), 14:

et cubito remanete presso,

leaning upon, Hor. C. 1, 27, 8. —

To make with any thing ( poet.):

aeternā notā,

Ov. F. 6, 610:

littera articulo pressa tremente,

id. H. 10, 140:

multā via pressa rotā,

id. ib. 18, 134.—

To press down, let down, cause to sink down, to lower:

nec preme, nec summum molire per aethera currum,

Ov. M. 2, 135:

humanaeque memor sortis, quae tollit eosdem, Et premit,

id. Tr. 3, 11, 67:

mundus ut ad Scythiam Rhiphaeasque arduus arces Consurgit, premitur Libyae devexus in Austros,

sinks down, Verg. G. 1, 240; Sen. Herc. Fur. 155. —

In partic.

To set, plant:

virgulta per agros,

Verg. G. 2, 346; 26.—

To make or form by pressing down, to make any thing deep, to dig:

vestigio leviter presso,

Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 24, § 53; cf.

(trop.): vestigia non pressa leviter, sed fixa,

id. Sest. 5, 13:

sulcum premere,

to draw a furrow, Verg. A. 10, 296:

fossam transversam, inter montes pressit (al. percussit),

Front. Strat. 1, 5:

fossa pressa,

Plin. Ep. 10, 69, 4:

cavernae in altitudinem pressae,

Curt. 5, 1, 28.—

To strike to the ground, to strike down:

tres famulos,

Verg. A. 9, 329:

paucos,

Tac. H. 4, 2.—

To press closely, compress, press together, close:

oculos,

Verg. A. 9, 487:

alicui fauces,

Ov. M. 12, 509:

laqueo collum,

to strangle, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 37:

angebar ceu guttura forcipe pressus,

Ov. M. 9, 78:

presso gutture,

compressed, Verg. G. 1, 410; cf.:

siquidem unius praecordia pressit ille (boletus) senis,

i. e. stopped his breath, Juv. 6, 621:

quibus illa premetur Per somnum digitis,

choked, id. 14, 221:

amplexu presso,

united, in close embrace, Sen. Oedip. 192:

oscula jungere pressa,

to exchange kisses, Ov. H. 2, 94; so,

pressa basia,

Mart. 6, 34, 1:

presso gradu incedere,

in close ranks, foot to foot, Liv. 28, 14:

pede presso,

id. 8, 8.—

In partic.

To shorten, tighten, draw in:

pressis habenis,

Verg. A. 11, 600 (cf.:

laxas dure habenas,

id. ib. 1, 63).—

To keep short, prune:

Calenā falce vitem,

Hor. C. 1, 31, 9:

luxuriem falce,

Ov. M. 14, 628:

falce premes umbras (i. e. arbores umbrantes),

Verg. G. 1, 157; 4, 131:

molle salictum,

Calp. Ecl. 5, 110.—

To check, arrest, stop:

premere sanguinem,

Tac. A. 15, 64:

vestigia pressit,

Verg. A. 6, 197:

attoniti pressere gradum,

Val. Fl. 2, 424 ' dixit, pressoque obmutuit ore, was silent, Verg. A. 6, 155.—

To press out, bring out by pressure:

tenerā sucos pressere medullā,

Luc. 4, 318; cf.: (equus) collectumque fremens volvit sub naribus ignem, Verg. ap. Sen. Ep. 95, 68, and id. G. 3, 85 Rib.—

To frequent: feci ut cotidie praesentem me viderent, habitavi in [p. 1441] oculis, pressi forum, Cic. Planc. 27, 66.—

Trop.

To press, press upon, oppress, overwhelm, weigh down; to urge, drive, importune, pursue, to press close or hard, etc. (class.):

ego istum pro suis factis pessumis pessum premam,

Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 49 Lorenz ad loc.:

quae necessitas eum tanta premebat, ut, etc.,

Cic. Rosc. Am. 34, 97:

ea, quae premant, et ea, quae impendeant,

id. Fam. 9, 1, 2:

aerumnae, quae me premunt,

Sall. J. 14, 22:

pressus gravitate soporis,

bound by heavy, deep sleep, Ov. M. 15, 21:

cum aut aere alieno, aut magnitudine tributorum, aut injuriā potentium premuntur,

Caes. B. G. 6, 13:

invidia et odio populi premi,

Cic. de Or. 1, 53, 228:

premi periculis,

id. Rep. 1, 6, 10:

cum a me premeretur,

id. Verr. 2, 1, 53, § 139; cf.:

aliquem verbo,

id. Tusc. 1, 7, 13:

criminibus veris premere aliquem,

Ov. M. 14, 401:

cum a plerisque ad exeundum premeretur, exire noluit,

was pressed, urged, importuned, Nep. Ages. 6, 1:

a Pompeii procuratoribus sescentis premi coeptus est,

Cic. Att. 6, 1, 3: numina nulla premunt;

mortali urgemur ab hoste,

Verg. A. 10, 375:

premere reum voce, vultu,

Tac. A. 3, 67:

crimen,

to pursue obstinately, Quint. 7, 2, 12:

confessionem,

to force a confession from one, id. 7, 1, 29:

argumentum etiam atque etiam,

to pursue steadily, Cic. Tusc. 1, 36, 88:

ancipiti mentem formidine pressus,

Verg. A. 3, 47:

maerore pressa,

Sen. Oct. 103:

veritate pressus negare non potuit,

overcome, overpowered, Lact. 4, 13.—

Transf.

To repress, hide, conceal (mostly poet.):

dum nocte premuntur,

Verg. A. 6, 827:

curam sub corde,

id. ib. 4, 332:

odium,

Plin. Pan. 62:

iram,

Tac. A. 6, 50:

pavorem et consternationem mentis vultu,

id. ib. 13, 16:

interius omne secretum,

Sen. Ep. 3, 4:

dolorem silentio,

Val. Max. 3, 3, 1 ext.; cf. silentia, Sil. 12, 646:

aliquid ore,

Verg. A. 7, 103:

jam te premet nox,

Hor. C. 1, 4, 16.—

To lower, diminish, undervalue, disparage, depreciate:

premendorum superiorum arte sese extollebat,

Liv. 22, 12:

arma Latini,

Verg. A. 11, 402:

opuscula ( = deprimere atque elevare),

Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 36:

famam alicujus,

Tac. A. 15, 49:

premere ac despicere,

Quint. 11, 1, 16:

premere tumentia, humilia extollere,

id. ib. 10, 4, 1.—

To surpass, exceed:

facta premant annos,

Ov. M. 7, 449:

ne prisca vetustas Laude pudicitiae saecula nostra premat,

id. P. 3, 1, 116:

quantum Latonia Nymphas Virgo premit,

Stat. S. 1, 2, 115.—

To rule ( poet.):

dicione premere populos,

Verg. A. 7, 737:

imperio,

id. ib. 1, 54:

Mycenas Servitio premet,

id. ib. 1, 285.—

To suppress, pull down, humble, degrade:

quae (vocabula) nunc situs premit,

Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 118:

nec premendo alium me extulisse velim,

Liv. 22, 59, 10; cf. id. 39, 41, 1:

premebat reum crimen,

id. 3, 13, 1.—

To compress, abridge, condense:

haec enim, quae dilatantur a nobis, Zeno sic premebat,

Cic. N. D. 2, 7, 20.—

To check, arrest, repress, restrain:

cursum ingenii tui, Brute, premit haec importuna clades civitatis,

Cic. Brut. 97, 332:

sub imo Corde gemitum,

Verg. A. 10, 464:

vocem,

to be silent, id. ib. 9, 324:

sermones vulgi,

to restrain, Tac. A. 3, 6.—

To store up, lay up in the mind, muse upon:

(vocem) ab ore Eripuit pater ac stupefactus numine pressit,

Verg. A. 7, 119.—Hence, pressus, a, um, P. a.

Moderate, slow, suppressed, kept down.

Lit.:

presso pede eos retro cedentes principes recipiebant,

Liv. 8, 8, 9:

presso gradu,

id. 28, 14, 14; cf.:

pressoque legit vestigia gressu,

Ov. M. 3, 17.—

Trop.

Of the voice or manner, subdued:

haec cum pressis et flebilibus modis, qui totis theatris maestitiam inferant,

Cic. Tusc. 1, 44, 106.—

Of color, lowered, depressed; hence, dark, gloomy:

color pressus,

Pall. 4, 13, 4:

color viridi pressior,

Plin. 35, 6, 13, § 32:

spadices pressi,

Serv. Verg. G. 3, 82.—

Esp., of an orator or of speech.

Compressed, concise, plain, without ornament (class.):

fiunt pro grandibus tumidi, pressis exiles, fortibus temerarii, etc.,

Quint. 10, 2, 16:

cum Attici pressi et integri, contra Asiani inflati et inanes haberentur,

id. 12, 10, 18.—Of style:

pressa et tenuia, et quae minimum ab usu cotidiano recedant,

Quint. 10, 1, 102:

pressus et demissus stilus,

Plin. Ep. 1, 8, 5; Quint. 4, 2, 117.— Comp.: in concionibus pressior, et circumscriptior, et adductior, more moderate, keeping more within bounds, Plin. Ep. 1, 16, 4.—

Close, exact, accurate:

Thucydides ita verbis aptus et pressus, ut,

Cic. de Or. 2, 13, 56: quis te fuit umquam in partiundis rebus pressior? more exact, more accurate, id. Fragm. ap. Non. 364, 24:

sicuti taxare pressius crebriusque est, quam tangere,

Gell. 2, 6, 5:

quod (periculum) observandum pressiore cautelā censeo,

stricter, greater, App. M. 5, p. 160, 36:

cogitationes pressiores,

id. ib. 5, p. 163, 32.—So of sounds, precise, intelligible:

(lingua) vocem profusam fingit atque sonos vocis distinctos et pressos facit,

Cic. N. D. 2, 59, 149.—Hence, adv.: pressē, with pressure, violently (class.): artius pressiusque conflictata, Atei. Capito ap. Gell. 10, 6, 2.—

Closely, tightly.

Lit.:

vites pressius putare,

Pall. 12, 9:

pressius colla radere,

Veg. Vet. 1, 56.—

Trop.

Of pronunciation, shortly, neatly, trimly:

loqui non aspere, non vaste, non rustice, sed presse, et aequabiliter, et leniter,

Cic. de Or. 3, 12, 45; id. Off. 1, 37, 133.—

Of the mode of expression, etc., concisely, not diffusely:

definire presse et anguste,

Cic. Or. 33, 117:

abundanter dicere, an presse,

Quint. 8, 3, 40:

pressius et astrictius scripsi,

Plin. Ep. 3, 18, 10.—

Without ornament, simply:

unum (genus oratorum) attenuate presseque, alterum sublate ampleque dicentium,

Cic. Brut. 55, 202:

aliquid describere modo pressius, modo elatius,

Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 3.—

Closely, exactly, correctly, accurately:

mihi placet agi subtilius, et pressius,

Cic. Fin. 4, 10, 24:

definiunt pressius,

id. Tusc. 4, 7, 14:

anquisitius, et exactius pressiusque disserere,

Gell. 1, 3, 21.