1. cōmo, mpsi (msi), mptum (mtum), 3, v. a. [co- (i. e. con) and emo; cf.: demo, promo].
- I. To bring together, form, frame, construct (Lucretian): dum perspicis omnem Naturam rerum quā constet compta figurā, Lucr. 1, 950 Munro ad loc.: nunc ea quo pacto inter sese mixta quibusque compta modis vigeant, id. 3, 259: quibus e rebus cum corpore compta vigeret (animi natura), Quove modo distracta rediret in ordia prima, id. 4, 27.
- II. To care for, take care of.
- A. Prop., in the class. per. usu. of the care of the hair, to comb, arrange, braid, dress; absol.: amica dum comit dumque se exornat, Plaut. Stich. 5, 4, 19: capillos, Cic. Pis. 11, 25; Verg. A. 10, 832: nitidum caput, Tib. 1, 8, 16: caput in gradus atque anulos, Quint. 12, 10, 47: comas acu, id. 2, 5, 12: comas hasta recurva, Ov. F. 2, 560: capillos dente secto, Mart. 12, 83.
Transf. to the person: sacerdos Fronde super galeam et felici comptus olivā, wreathed, Verg. A. 7, 751: Tisiphone serpentibus undique compta, id. Cul. 218: pueri praecincti et compti, Hor. S. 2, 8, 70: longas compta puella comas, Ov. Am. 1, 1, 20.
- B. In partic., to adorn, deck, ornament: corpora si quis vulsa atque fucata muliebriter comat, Quint. 8, prooem. § 19: colla genasque, Stat. S. 1, 2, 110: vultus, Claud. in Eutr. 2, 337: vestes et cingula manu, id. VI. Cons. Hon. 525.
- 2. Transf. of things: vittā comptos praetendere ramos, Verg. A. 8, 128: colus compta, i. e. furnished or adorned with wool, Plin. 8, 48, 74, § 194.
- II. Trop., to deck, adorn: Cleopatra simulatum compta dolorem, Luc. 10, 83.
Esp. freq. of rhet. ornament: non quia comi expolirique non debeat (oratio), Quint. 8, 3, 42; cf.: linguae orationisque comendae gratiā, Gell. 1, 9, 10.
Hence, comptus (-mtus), a, um, P. a., adorned, ornamented, decked: juvenes ut femina compti, Ov. H. 4, 75: anima mundissima atque comptissima, Aug. Quant. Anim. 33.
But usu. of discourse, embellished, elegant: compta et mitis oratio, Cic. Sen. 9, 28 (al. composita): comptior sermo, Tac. H. 1, 19: (Vinicius) comptae facundiae, id. A. 6, 15.
Transf. to the person: Isocrates in diverso genere dicendi nitidus et comptus, Quint. 10, 1, 79.
Adv.: comptē (comt-), with ornament, elegantly, only trop.: compte disserere, Sen. Ep. 75, 6: agere rem, Gell. 7, 3, 52.
* Comp.: comptius dicere, Gell. 7, 3, 53.
Sup., Plaut. Mil. 3, 3, 66, acc. to Ritschl (al. comissime).
2. cŏmo, no perf., ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [coma].
- I. Neutr., to be furnished with hair (as verb. finit. only post-class.), Paul. Nol. 28, 246.
But freq. cŏmans, antis, P. a.
- A. Having long hair, hairy, covered with hair (poet. or in post-Aug. prose): colla equorum, Verg. A. 12, 86; cf.: equus florā et comante jubā, Gell. 3, 9, 3: equae, Plin. 10, 63, 83, § 180: tori, Verg. A. 12, 6: crines, Sil. 16, 59: saetae hircorum, Verg. G. 3, 312; cf.: pellis comata villis, Val. Fl. 8, 122: galea = cristata, crested, plumed, Verg. A. 2, 391; cf. cristae, id. ib. 3, 468.
- B. Transf., of growths, etc., resembling hair: stella, having a radiant, hairy train, a comet, Ov. M. 15, 749: astro comantes Tyndaridae, ornamented with stars, Val. Fl. 5, 267: sera comans narcissus, that puts out leaves late, Verg. G. 4, 122: dictamnus flore Purpureo, id. A. 12, 413: jugum silvae, leafy, Val. Fl. 3, 403: silvae, id. 1, 429: folia, luxuriant, Plin. 13, 8, 16, § 59: pinus, Sil. 10, 550: humus, Stat. Th. 5, 502.
- II. Act., to clothe or deck with hair or something like hair (as verb. finit. only post-class.), Tert. Pall. 3.
Freq. (esp. in the post-Aug. per.) cŏmātus, a, um, P. a., having long hair: tempora, Mart. 10, 83, 13; Val. Fl. 7, 636; and subst.: cŏmā-tus, i, m., Suet. Calig. 35; Mart. 1, 73, 8; 12, 70, 9.
As adj. propr.: Gallia Comata, Transalpine Gaul (opp. togata), Cic. Phil. 8, 9, 27; Mel. 3, 2, 4; Plin. 4, 17, 31, § 105; Cat. 29, 3; Luc. 1, 443.
Transf.: silva, leafy, Cat. 4, 11.