ψηλαφάω

A. ‐ήσω LXX Za. 9.13: aor. ἐψηλάφησα ib.Ge. 27.22:—Pass., fut. ψηλαφηθήσομαι ib. Na. 3.1: aor. ἐψηλαφήθην S.E. M. 8.108, Plu. 2.599c:—feel or grope about to find a thing, like a blind man or hoodman-blind, χερσὶ ψηλαφόων (Ep.for ‐άων), of the Cyclops when blinded, Od. 9.416; ψηλαφῶν οὐκ ἐδυνάμην εὑρεῖν [τὸ ἱμάτιον] Ar. Ec. 315; ψηλαφῶντες . . ὥσπερ ἐν σκότει Pl. Phd. 99b: metaph., ψ. περί τινων Phld. D. 1.14.

2. c. acc. rei, feel about for, grope or search after, ἐψηλαφῶμεν ἐν σκότῳ τὰ πράγματα Ar. Pax 691; εἰ . . ψηλαφήσειαν αὐτὸν (sc. τὸν θεὸν)καὶ εὕροιεν Act.Ap. 17.27.

II. feel, touch, handle, stroke, Poll. 1.183; μή ποτε ψηλαφήσῃ με ὁ πατήρ, of Isaac and Jacob, LXX Ge. 27.12, cf. Ev.Luc. 24.39; ψ. καὶ τρίβειν τοῖς δακτύλοις Arist. HA 571a33; esp. in Medic., of uterine examination, Hp. Mul. 1.40, al.:—Pass., ὧν ψηλαφωμένων ὁ ἵππος . . ἥδεται X. Eq. 2.4; [ὄρνιθες] τῇ χειρὶ ψηλαφώμεναι Arist. HA 560a9.

III. metaph., test, examine, τὸν ὗν Plb. 8.29.8; τὸν οἶνον Gp. 7.5.1; πᾶσαν ἐπίνοιαν Plb. 8.16.4; τὰς ἀλλήλων νοήσεις οἷον ὑπὸ σκότῳ διὰ φωνῆς ψ. Plu. 2.589b; εἴδωλον [τοῦ καλοῦ] διώκοντες καὶ ψ. ib.766a:—Pass., S.E.l.c., τὰ ψηλαφηθέντα ὑπ’ Ἀντιόχου the attempts made by . . , J. AJ 13.9.2.