Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

fornix, ĭcis, m., an arch or vault (cf.: camera, testudo, tholus, lacunar).

  1. I. Lit.: Democritus invenisse dicitur fornicem, ut lapidum curvatura paulatim inclinatorum medio saxo alligaretur, Sen. Ep. 90 med.: si quis in pariete communi demoliendo damni infecti promiserit, non debebit praestare, quod fornix vitii fecerit, Cic. Top. 4, 22; Auct. Her. 3, 16, 29: aqua fornicibus structis perducta (Romam), Plin. 31, 3, 24, § 41: conspicio adverso fornice portas, the entrance under the archway over against us, Verg. A. 6, 631: fornices in muro erant apti ad excurrendum, vaulted openings from which to make sallies, Liv. 36, 23, 3; a covered way, id. 44, 11, 5.
    Poet., of the arches of heaven: caeli ingentes fornices, Enn. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 19 Müll. (Trag. v. 423 ed. Vahl.), a figure found fault with by Cicero, Cic. de Or. 3, 40, 162.
    1. B. In partic.: Fornix Făbĭus, a triumphal arch built by Q. Fabius Allobrogicus in the Sacra Via, near the Regia. Cic. Planc. 7, 17; Quint. 6, 3, 67; also called Fornix Fabianus, Cic. Verr. 1, 7, 19 (for which: Arcus Fabianus, Sen. Const. Sap. 1); and: Fornix Fabii, Cic. de Or. 2, 66, 267; cf. Becker’s Antiq. 1, p. 239 sq.
  2. II. Transf., a brothel, bagnio, stew, situated in underground vaults, Hor. S. 1, 2, 30 sq.; id. Ep. 1, 14, 21; Juv. 3, 156; 11, 171.
    Hence, transf., of one who gave himself up to prostitution: (Caesarem) Curio stabulum Nicomedis et Bithynicum fornicem dicit, Suet. Caes. 49.