To prouoke, stirre, or egge a man to wrath or contention be it with wordes, writing, or act: to rayle ou one: to pricke with some ill language or act, to desire instantly: to tingle, as ones flesh doth. Voce lacessere aliquem. Virg. Stimulo iuuencum lacessere. Colu. To egge or stirre. Ciëre & lacessere. Martial. Lacessere ad pugnam. Liu. To prouoke and egge to battayle. Lacessere bello, & tentare populos. Cic. To beginne warre with: to warre on them first. Campum lacessit taurus. Stat. The buill stampeth and scrapeth the ground with his feete. Vi irritare, ferróque lacessere fortissimum virum. Cic. Romam fortuna lacessit. Lucan. Fortune vexeth and molesteth Reme with warres. Lacessere iniuria. Cic. To do iniurie first to one. Insidijs lacessere aliquem. Catul. Lacessere iurgijs. Liu. To begin first to chide with one. Lacessere maledictis. Cicero. To tarre, egge, or prouoke to wrath with foule wordes. Lacessere prælio. Cæsar. To begin first to sight with his entmies thereby to prouoke them. Pelagus lacesfere. Horat. To row: to lay on with oares. Pugnam lacessere. Virg. Risus quodam corporis ractu lacessitur. Quintil. Laughing is prouoked by touching or tickling in the bodie. Rupes lacessit taurus. Sil. The bull fretteth or thrusteth his hornes against the rocke. Sermones lacessere. Cicer. To rayse talke or communication: to stirre or moue talke. Sponsione lacessiuit, ni Apronius dictitaret, te sibi in decumis esse socium. Cic. He began by pawne to wage the law with him, that he would proue that Aproning did say, that you were copartenour with him in the tenthes. Sidera lacessunt clamore. Sil. Visum lacessere. Lucret. Voces lacessunt aures. Lucret. Lacessere aliquem. Senec. Lacessere aliquem. Horat. To desire one instantly aud importunately: to trouble with importunate requestes.

I. Lit.: aliquem ferro, Cic. Mil. 31, 84: sponsione me homo promtus lacessivit, id. Pis. 23, 55: tu ultro me maledictis lacessisti, id. Phil. 2, 1, 1: me amabis et scripto aliquo lacesses, by writing, force me to write in return, id. Fam. 12, 20: vetus si poeta non lacessisset prior, Ter. Phorm. prol. 14: hostes proelio, i. e. to attack, assail, Caes. B. G. 4, 11: aliquem bello, id. ib. 6, 5: Aeduos injuriā, id. ib. 1, 35: nos te nulla lacessiimus injuria, Cic. Fam. 11, 3, 1: Saguntini nec lacessentes nec lacessiti, Liv. 21, 11: aliquos lacessiturus bello, id. 28, 28; Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 10, 23: quorum alter relictus, alter lacessitus, id. ib. 2, 4: quid tam necessarium quam tenere semper arma, quibus ... to ulcisci lacessitus, id. de Or. 1, 8, 32: ne rudis agminum sponsus lacessat leonem, Hor. C. 3, 2, 11: Caesar neque cedentes tanto collis ascensu lacessendos judicabat, Hirt. B. G. 8, 14: aliquem capitaliter, to make a deadly attack upon one, Plin. Ep. 1, 5: (corpora) quae feriunt oculorum acies visumque lacessunt, to strike, meet, Lucr. 4, 217; 691; cf. id. 4, 597: nares odor lacessit, id. 4, 691: fores nondum reserati carceris acer nunc pede nunc ipsa fronte lacessit Equus, Ov. Tr. 5, 9, 30.—Poet.: aëra Sole lacessita ( = percussa radiis solis), struck with the sunbeams' glitter, Verg. A. 7, 527; cf. vindemia pluviisque aut ventis lacessita, Col. 3, 21, 5.—

II. Transf., in gen.

A. To urge, arouse, excite, stimulate, shake, move: a quo non modo impulsi sumus ad philosophas scriptiones, verum Etiam lacessiti, Cic. Tusc. 1, 41, 121: ad scribendum, id. Att. 1, 13, 1: ad pugnam, Liv. 2, 45 init.: usus luxuriantis aetatis signaturas pretiosis gemmis coepit insculpere, et certatim haec omnis imitatio lacessivit, Macr. S. 7, 13, 11: aurigae manibusque lacessunt Pectora plausa cavis, pat them on their breasts (in order to animate them), Verg. A. 12, 85: pugnam, id. ib. 5, 429: bella, id. ib. 11, 254: ne quemquam voce lacessas, id. E. 3, 51: his se stimulis dolor ipse lacessit, Luc. 2, 42: Nilus spuma astra lacessit, id. 10, 320: taurus lacessit campum, Stat. Th. 12, 604: clamore sidera, Sil. 17, 387: deos (precibus), to assail, importune, Hor. C. 2, 18, 12: pelagus carinā, to stir, chafe, id. ib. 1, 35, 7.—

B. To call forth, arouse, produce: sermones, Cic. Fam. 3, 8, 7: ferrum, Verg. A. 10, 10.