vēnor, ātus (inf. parag. venarier, Lucr. 5, 1248; gen. plur. part. venantum, Verg. A. 9, 551 al.), 1, v. dep. n. and a., to hunt, chase (cf.: capto, aucupor). Neutr.: qui venari solent, Cic. Fam. 2, 11, 2: quo me in silvam venatum vocas? Plaut. Men. 5, 2, 82: venatum in nemus ire parant, Verg. A. 4, 117: canum alacritas in venando, Cic. N. D. 2, 63, 158: tigris venatur, Val. Fl. 1, 493: tu praecipue curvis venare theatris, Ov. A. A. 1, 89.

—Prov.: stultitia est venatum ducere invitas canes, Plaut. Stich. 1, 2, 82: piscari in aere, Venari autem jaculo in medio mari, id. As. 1, 1, 87.

—Part. as subst.: voces venantum, of hunters, Phaedr. 1, 12, 7.

— Act.: i modo, venare leporem, Plaut. Capt. 1, 2, 81: canibus leporem, dammas, Verg. G. 3, 410: vespae muscas grandiores venantur, Plin. 11, 21, 24, § 72: conchae hiantes venantur cibum, id. 32, 11, 54, § 154: fugientes cum mari pisces, id. 16, 1, 1, § 3.

— Trop., to hunt or seek after, to pursue a thing (mostly poet.): laudem modestiae, Auct. Her. 4, 3, 5: suffragia ventosae plebis, Hor. Ep. 1, 19, 37: viduas avaras frustis et pomis, id. ib. 1, 1, 78: viros oculis (filia), Phaedr. 4, 5, 4; cf.: amores, Ov. Med. Fac. 27.

—Pass., Enn. Trag. 335; Prisc. p. 734 P.