To leade or allure. Delectare hostem. To allure ones enimie. Delectare, voluptate afficere. Plautus. Cicer. To delight: to please. Herba spe delectat agrestes. Ouid. Plus nimio delectare. Horat. To delight exceeding much. Delectare oues in agro. Plin. Pulchritudo mouet oculos & delectat. Cic. Non solùm delectat, sed etiam sine satietate delectat. Cicer. It so delighteth, that one is neuer wearie of it. Libris me delecto. Cic. Cum musis se delectare. Cic. Valdè delectare. Cic. Prudens dici delector. Hor. It delighteth mee, or I am delighted to be called wise. Delectari in re aliqua. Cic. To take pleasure or delight in a thing. Delectari ab aliquo. Cic. Duci ac delectari declamatorio genere. Cic. Ne criminibus inferendis amicus delectetur. Cic.

I. To allure from the right path, to entice away, to seduce (only ante-class.): me Apollo ipse delectat, ductat Delphicus, Enn. ap. Non. 97, 32 (Trag. v. 390 Vahl.: delectare, illicere, attrahere, Non.): hostem, Quadrig. ib. 98, 2: ubi sementem facturus eris, ibi oves delectato, keep back, Cato R. R. 30 (also copied in Plin. 17, 9, 6, 55). —

II. Meton. (effectus pro causa), to delight, sc. by attracting, alluring; to please, charm, amuse (freq. and class.; cf.: oblecto, juvo): mentem atque animum delectat suum, Enn. ap. Gell. 19, 10, 12: Pamphilam arcesse, ut delectet hic nos, Ter. Eun. 4, 1, 11: non tam ista me sapientiae fama delectat, quam, etc., Cic. Lael. 4, 15; id. ib. 6 fin.: sive Falernum to magis delectat, Hor. S. 2, 8, 17 al.—With abl.: delectari multis inanibus rebus, ut honore, ut gloria, etc.: animo autem virtute praedito ... non admodum delectari, Cic. Lael. 14: jumentis, Caes. B. G. 4, 2: imperio, id. B. C. 3, 82: criminibus inferendis, Cic. Lael. 18, 65: carminibus, Hor. Od. 4, 1, 23; cf. iambis (with gaudere carmine), id. Ep. 2, 2, 59 et passim: interea cum Musis nos delectabimus aequo animo, id. Att. 2, 4, 2; cf.: cum Musis delectari, Hyg. Astr. 2, 27.—With ab and abl.: ut me ab eo delectari facilius quam decipi putem posse, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 13 fin.; so, ab aliquo, id. Fin. 1, 5, 14; id. Or. 57, 195 et saep.—With in and abl.: in hoc admodum delector, quod, etc., id. Leg. 2, 7, 17 Goer.; cf. id. Fin. 1, 11, 39; id. Fam. 6, 4; cf.: ille me delectat in omni genere, id. Att. 16, 5, 2: in alio sua quemque natura delectat, Plin. Pan. 45, 1.—In ellipt. style, impers.: me magis de Dionysio delectat, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 13 fin.—With inf. as subject: quam delectabat eum defectiones solis et lunae multo ante nobis praedicere, Cic. Lael. 14, 49; id. Tusc. 3, 26, 63; Quint. 1, 1, 29: aedificare casas ... si quem delectet barbatum, Hor. S. 2, 3, 249; cf.: me pedibus delectat claudere verba, id. ib. 2, 1, 28: delectat Veneris decerpere flores, Ov. R. Am. 103.—In pass.: vir bonus et prudens dici delector, Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 32; Phaedr. 5, 3, 9: delectat, impers. (late Lat.), Boeth. Cons. Phil. 2, 3.