noun · masculinethird declension
quaesītor
quaesītor m (genitive quaesītōris)
Classical[kʷae̯ˈsiː.tɔr]Ecclesiastical[kʷeˈs̬iː.tor]
Meaning
- seeker, searcher
- investigator
Declension
| form | singular | plural |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | quaesītor | quaesītōrēs |
| genitive | quaesītōris | quaesītōrum |
| dative | quaesītōrī | quaesītōribus |
| accusative | quaesītōrem | quaesītōrēs |
| ablative | quaesītōre | quaesītōribus |
| vocative | quaesītor | quaesītōrēs |
quaesītor, ōris, m. id.,
I. a seeker, searcher (post-class.).
I. In gen., as for gold, connected with scrutator, Pacat. Pan. Th. 28.—
II. In partic., an investigator.
A. In judicial (esp. in criminal) matters, an examiner, inquisitor:
quid mihi opus est sapiente judice? quid aequo quaesitore? Cic. Font. 6, 11; id. Sull. 28, 78; Cic. Verr. 1, 10, 29: quaesitorem edere, id. Planc. 17, 43: quaesitor Minos, Verg. A. 6, 432: tres, Sall. J. 40, 4.— Of Cicero, as the investigator of the Catilinarian conspiracy, Cic. Cat. 4, 5, 10: judex desiit esse, quaesitor est, Sen. Brev. Vit. 17, 3.— Esp. of the prætor who presided in criminal trials, Cic. Verr. 1, 10. — B. In a scientific point of view, an inquirer, examiner, considerer, as a transl. of the Gr. σκεπτικός, a sceptic (post-class.), Gell. 11, 5, 2: quaesitor ille solus animaeque corporisque, Prud. Hymn. ante Somn. 89.
Charlton Lewis's shorter dictionary for students: the same scholarship in plain, modern definitions.
quaesītor ōris, m
QVAES-, an investigator, examining magistrate, examiner, inquisitor, prosecuting officer : illa tormenta regit quaesitor: Minos, V.: quaesitori gratulationem decrevit: consules et quaesitor erant ex illius voluntate, i. e. the praetor (who conducted the trial).
Origins
From quaesītum + -tor, where the ī-perfect seems to be original. Compare with quaestor, from the present stem or from quaesō.