• vt. 征求；招攬；請求；乞求
• vi. 征求；招攬；懇求；請求

來自拉丁語 sollicitare,打擾，麻煩，刺激，煽動，來自 sollus,整個的，全部的，詞源同 solid,-cit, 召喚，使興奮，詞源同 cite,excite.后引申詞義請求，懇求，以及俚語詞義招嫖，拉客等。

solicit

solicit: [15] The ultimate source of solicit is Latin sollicitus ‘agitated’, which also gave English solicitous [16]. It was a compound adjective, formed from sollus ‘whole’ (source also of English solemn) and citus, the past participle of ciēre ‘move’ (source of English cite, excite, etc) – hence literally ‘completely moved’.

From it was formed the verb sollicitāre ‘disturb, agitate’, which passed into English via Old French solliciter. By the time it arrived it had acquired the additional meaning ‘manage affairs’, which lies behind the derived solicitor [15]; and the original ‘disturb’ (which has since died out) gave rise in the 16th century to ‘trouble with requests’. French insouciant, borrowed by English in the 19th century, goes back ultimately to Latin sollicitāre.
=> cite, excite, incite, insouciant, solemn, solid

solicit (v.)

early 15c., "to disturb, trouble," from Middle French soliciter (14c.), from Latin sollicitare "to disturb, rouse, trouble, harass; stimulate, provoke," from sollicitus "agitated," from sollus "whole, entire" + citus "aroused," past participle of ciere "shake, excite, set in motion" (see cite). Related: Solicited; soliciting.

Meaning "entreat, petition" is from 1520s. Meaning "to further (business affairs)" evolved mid-15c. from Middle French sense of "manage affairs." The sexual sense (often in reference to prostitutes) is attested from 1710, probably from a merger of the business sense and an earlier sense of "to court or beg the favor of" (a woman), attested from 1590s.

1. Prostitutes were forbidden to solicit on public roads and in public places.

禁止**在馬路上和公共場所公然拉客。

來自柯林斯例句

2. They were planning to solicit funds from a number of organizations.

他們正計劃向一些機構募集資金。

來自《權威詞典》

3. May I solicit your advice on a matter of some importance?

我有一件要事可以請教你嗎?

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

4. Solicit a continuance of customer's patronage.

敬請顧客繼續惠顧.

來自《現代漢英綜合大詞典》

5. It is illegal for public officials to solicit gifts or money in exchange for favors.

公務員通過索要禮物或錢財作為為他人提供便利的交換是違法的。

來自柯林斯例句