μελετάω
I. "to care for, attend to" a thing, c. gen., Hes.
II. c. acc. rei, "to attend to, study", Hdt., Soph.; μ. δόξαν "to study, court" reputation, Thuc.
2. "to practise" an art, Lat. meditari, μαντείαν Hhymn.; μ. τοῦτο (sc. κήρυκα εἶναι) Hdt.; μ. σοφίαν Ar.; ῥητορικήν Plat.:—in attic also, "to practise" speaking, "to con over" a speech, Dem.:—Pass., τὸ ναυτικὸν οὐκ ἐνδέχεται ἐκ παρέργου μελετᾶσθαι nautical skill cannot "be acquired by" occasional "practice", Thuc.; εὐταξία μετὰ κινδύνων μελετωμένη discipline "won by practice" on the battle-field, id=Thuc.
III. c. inf. "to practise doing" a thing, μ. τοξεύειν καὶ ἀκοντίζειν Xen.; μ. ἀποθνήσκειν Plat.
IV. absol. "to practise, exercise oneself", the acc. rei being omitted, Thuc., Xen.; ἐν τῷ μὴ μελετῶντι (= μελετᾶν) by want of "practice", Thuc.: —esp. "to rehearse a speech, declaim", Plat., etc.
V. c. acc. pers. "to exercise or train" persons, Xen.
Etym. from μελέτη