praetento

prae-tento or praetempto, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a.

I.

To feel, search, or grope out beforehand, to examine previously, to estimate beforehand, anticipate (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose):

praetentare baculo, luminis orbus, iter,

Ov. Ib. 262:

praetentat manu silvas,

id. M. 14, 189:

praetentat pollice chordas,

id. ib. 5, 339:

pedibus praetentat iter,

Tib. 2, 1, 77:

cochleae corniculis praetentant iter,

Plin. 9, 32, 51, § 101:

sinum,

Suet. Aug. 35:

culcitis et stragulis praetentatis et excussis,

id. Claud. 35:

fato pericula vestra praetentate meo,

Luc. 9, 397.—

B.

Trop., to test or try beforehand:

vires,

Ov. M. 8, 7:

judicis misericordiam,

Quint. 4, 1, 28.—

II.

To hold before one's self:

praetentat pallia laevā,

Claud. B. Gild. 438.—

B.

Trop., to make a pretext of:

impia praetentans vulnera,

Val. Fl. 6, 75.