quaesītor

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.