Lewis & Short

confĕro, contŭli, collātum (conl-), conferre, v. a.

  1. I. To bring, bear, or carry together, to collect, gather (freq. and class.).
    1. A. In gen.: ligna circa casam, Nep. Alcib. 10, 4: arma, Vell. 2, 114, 4: cibos ore suo (aves), Quint. 2, 6, 7: undique collatis membris, Hor. A. P. 3 al.: sarcinas in unum locum, Caes. B. G. 1, 24; cf. id. ib. 2, 25: collatis militaribus signis, id. ib. 7, 2: ut premerer sacrā Lauroque collatāque myrto, Hor. C. 3, 4, 19: quo (sc. in proximum horreum) omne rusticum instrumentum, Col. 1, 6, 7: illuc (sc. in castella) parentes et conjuges, Tac. A. 4, 46 fin.: dentes in corpore (canes), Ov. M. 3, 236: materiam omnem, antequam dicere ordiamur, Quint. 3, 9, 8: summas (scriptorum) in commentarium et capita, id. 10, 7, 32: plura opera in unam tabulam, id. 8, 5, 26: quae in proximos quinque libros conlata sunt, id. 8, prooem. 1: res Romanas Graeco peregrinoque sermone in historiam, Just. pr. 1; cf. Suet. Caes. 44; cf. I. B. 5. infra.; Quint. 4, 1, 23: rogus inimicis collatus manibus, Petr. 115 fin.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To collect money, treasures, etc., for any object, to bring offerings, contribute: dona mihi, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 20: contulit aes populus, Ov. F. 4, 351; so freq. on monuments: AERE CONLATO, Inscr. Orell. 3648; 74; Suet. Aug. 59: EX AERE CONLATO, Inscr. Orell. 3991: aurum argentumque in publicum, Liv. 28, 36, 3: munera ei, Nep. Ages. 7, 3: tributa quotannis ex censu, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 53, § 131: conferre eo minus tributi, Liv. 5, 20, 5: in commune, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 59, § 145; id. Quint. 3, 12: quadringena talenta quotannis Delum, Nep. Arist. 3, 1: (pecunia) ad ejus honores conlata, Cic. Fl. 25, 59: ad honorem tuum pecunias maximas contulisse, id. Verr. 2, 2, 65, § 157: sextantes in capita, Liv. 2, 33, 11: pecunias, Suet. Caes. 19; id. Aug. 57; 30; Just. 3, 6: vinum alius, alius mel, Dig. 41, 1, 7; 47, 7, 3 pr.: sua bona in medium, ib. 37, 6, 1 pr.: magnam partem patrimonii alicui rei, ib. 50, 4, 5: cum et Socrati collatum sit ad victum, Quint. 12, 7, 9.
        Absol.: nos dabimus, nos conferemus, nostro sumptu, non tuo, Plaut. Most. 5, 2, 39.
        Hence,
        1. b. Trop., like the Gr. συμφέρω (v. Lidd. and Scott in h. v. 5.), to be useful, profitable, to profit, serve, be of use to ( = prosum; cf. also conduco, II.; post-Aug., and only in the third person; most freq. in Quint.); constr. with ad, in, the dat., inf., or absol.
          1. (α) With ad: naturane plus ad eloquentiam conferat an doctrina, Quint. 2, 19, 1; so id. 1, 8, 7; 2, 5, 1; 3, 6, 7 al.; Cels. 6, 6, 1; Col. 12, prooem. § 6; Suet. Tib. 4.
          2. * (β) With in: rursus in alia plus prior (exercitatio) confert, Quint. 10, 7, 26.
          3. (γ) With dat.: Gracchorum eloquentiae multum contulisse matrem, Quint. 1, 1, 6; so id. prooem. § 6; 2, 9, 2; 3, 7, 12 al.; Plin. 20, 6, 23, § 54; 20, 23, 98, § 261; 29, 1, 6, § 13; Suet. Vesp. 6.
          4. (δ) With subj. inf.: incipiente incremento confert alterna folia circum obruere, Plin. 19, 5, 26, § 83.
            (ε) Absol.: multum veteres etiam Latini conferunt, imprimis copiam verborum, Quint. 1, 8, 8; 2, 5, 16; 4, 2, 123 al.; cf. Sillig ad Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 67.
      2. 2. To bring into connection, to unite, join, connect: membris collatis, of an embrace, Lucr. 4, 1101; cf. ora, App. M. 5, p. 161, 17: fontes e quibus collatae aquae flumen emittunt, Curt. 7, 11, 3: capita, to lay heads together (in conferring, deliberating, etc.), Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 12, § 31; Liv. 2, 45, 7: pedem, to go or come with one, Plaut. Merc. 5, 2, 41; so, gradum ( = congredi), id. Men. 3, 3, 30; id. Ps. 2, 4, 17; Verg. A. 6, 488.
        Of chemical union: dissimiles et dispares res in unam potestatem, Vitr. 2, 6, 4.
        1. b. Trop.: collatis viribus, Plin. Ep. 8, 14, 17; cf.: conferre vires in unum, Liv. 33, 19, 7: collata omnium vota in unius salutem, Plin. Pan. 23, 5: e singulis frustis collata oratio, Quint. 8, 5, 27; cf. id. 2, 9, 3: velut studia inter nos conferebamus, id. 4, prooem. § 1.
          So esp. of conferences, consultations, etc., to consult together, confer, consider or talk over together: si quid res feret, coram inter nos conferemus, Cic. Att. 1, 20, 1: sollicitudines nostras inter nos, id. Fam. 6, 21, 2: rationes, id. Att 5, 21, 12: familiares sermones cum aliquo, to unite in familiar conversation with, id. Off. 2, 11, 39: cum hoc in viā sermonem contulit, id. Inv. 2, 4, 14; cf.: cum aliquo aut sermones aut consilia, id. Phil. 2, 15, 38: consilia ad adulescentes, Ter. Heaut. 3, 1, 64; cf.: consilia dispersim antea habita, Suet. Caes. 80: injurias, to deliberate together concerning, Tac. Agr. 15; Cael. ap. Cic. Fam. 8, 15, 2.
          Absol.: omnes sapientes decet conferre et fabulari, Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 8.
          With a rel.clause: fusi contulerimus inter nos … quid finis, Cic. Fin. 2, 2, 4: ibi conferentibus, quid animorum Hispanis esset, Liv. 27, 20, 4.
      3. 3. To bring or join together in a hostile manner, to set together (most freq. in milit. lang.): (Galli) cum Fontejo ferrum ac manus contulerunt, Cic. Font. 5, 12 (1, 2): signa cum Alexandrinis, id. Pis. 21, 49; cf.: collatis signis depugnare, Plaut. Cas. 2, 5, 44; Cic. Imp. Pomp. 23, 66: arma cum aliquo, Nep. Eum. 11, 5; 3, 6; cf.: arma inter se, Liv. 21, 1, 2: castra cum hoste, id. 26, 12, 14; cf.: castra castris, id. 23, 28, 9; 8, 23, 9; Cic. Div. 2, 55, 114; Caes. B. C. 3, 79: pedem cum pede, to fight foot to foot, Liv. 28, 2, 6; cf.: pede conlato, id. 6, 12, 10; 10, 29, 6; 26, 39, 12 al.: gradum cum aliquo, id. 7, 33, 11: pectora luctantia nexu pectoribus, Ov. M. 6, 242: stat conferre manum Aeneae, Verg. A. 12, 678: prima movet Cacus collatā proelia dextrā, Ov. F. 1, 569: collatis cursibus hastas conicere, Val. Fl. 6, 270: seque viro vir contulit, Verg. A. 10, 735.
        Poet.: inter sese duri certamina belli, Verg. A. 10, 147: contra conferre manu certamina pugnae, Lucr. 4, 843: collato Marte, Ov. M. 12, 379.
        Absol.: mecum confer, ait, fight with me, Ov. M. 10, 603.
        1. b. Transf. from milit. affairs to lawsuits: pedem, to encounter, come in contact with one, to attack: non possum magis pedem conferre, ut aiunt, aut propius accedere? Cic. Planc. 19, 48: pedem cum singulis, Quint. 5, 13, 11; cf. id. 8, 6, 51; cf.: qui illi concedi putem utilius esse quod postulat quam signa conferri, Cic. Att. 7, 5, 5.
          Poet.: lites, to contend, quarrel, Hor. S. 1, 5, 54.
      4. 4. To bring together for comparison, to compare; constr. with cum, inter se, ad, the dat., or acc. only.
          1. (α) With cum: quem cum eo (sc. Democrito) conferre possumus non modo ingenii magnitudine sed etiam animi? Cic. Ac. 2, 23, 73; so id. Verr. 2, 4, 52, § 115: ut non conferam vitam neque existimationem tuam cum illius, id. ib. 2, 4, 20, § 45; id. Sull. 26, 72: cum maximis minima, id. Opt. Gen. Or. 6, 17; Quint. 5, 13, 12; 8, 4, 2 al.: nostras leges cum illorum Lycurgo et Dracone et Solone, Cic. de Or. 1, 44, 197; cf.: illa cum Graeciā, id. Tusc. 1, 1, 2; v. also δ.
          2. (β) With inter se (rare): vitam inter se utriusque conferte, Cic. Rosc. Com. 7, 20.
          3. * (γ) With ad: bos ad bovem collatus, Varr. L. L. 9, § 28 Müll.
          4. (δ) With dat.: tempora praesentia praeteritis, Lucr. 2, 1166: parva magnis, Cic. Or. 4, 14: alicui illud, id. Inv. 2, 50, 151: lanam tinctam Tyriae lacernae, Quint. 12, 10, 75: ingenia ingeniis, Sen. Contr. 5, 33: illam puellis, Prop. 1, 5, 7; 1, 4, 9: nil jucundo amico, Hor. S. 1, 5, 44: (Pausanias et Lysander) ne minimā quidem ex parte Lycurgi legibus et disciplinae conferendi sunt, Cic. Off. 1, 22, 76; cf. supra, α.
            (ε) With acc. only: tesseram hospitalem, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 88: conferte Verrem: non ut hominem cum homine comparetis, etc., Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 54, § 121: exemplum, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 85; Ter. Ad. 1, 2, 14; Ov. M. 7, 696: nec cum quaereretur gener Tarquinio, quisquam Romanae juventutis ullā arte conferri potuit, Liv. 1, 39, 4; Suet. Caes. 47: census, Plin. 7, 48, 49, § 159.
            Of documents: haec omnia summā curā et diligentiā recognita et conlata sunt, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 77, § 190.
      5. 5. With the idea of shortening by bringing together (cf. colligo), to compress, abridge, condense, make or be brief: quam potero in verba conferam paucissima, Plaut. Men. prol. 6; cf.: in pauca, ut occupatus nunc sum, confer, quid velis, id. Ps. 1, 3, 44: rem in pauca, id. Poen. 5, 4, 68; and: in pauca verba, id. As. 1, 1, 75; id: Pers. 4, 4, 109: totam Academiam … ex duobus libris contuli in quattuor, Cic. Att. 13, 13, 1: ut in pauca conferam, id. Caecin. 6, 17: sua verba in duos versus, Ov. F. 1, 162: ex immensā diffusāque legum copiā optima quaeque et necessaria in paucissimos libros, Suet. Caes. 44.
      6. * 6. To join in bringing forward, to propose unitedly (as a law; cf. fero, II. B. 8. b.): cur enim non confertis, ne sit conubium divitibus et pauperibus, Liv. 4, 4, 9 Weissenb. ad loc.
  2. II. (Con intens.) To bear, carry, convey, direct a thing somewhere (in haste, for protection, etc.); and conferre se, to betake or turn one’s self anywhere, to go (very freq. and class.).
    1. A. Prop.
      1. 1. In gen.
          1. (α) With the designation of the goal: quo me miser conferam? Gracch. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 56, 214: qui cum se suaque omnia in oppidum Bratuspantium contulissent, Caes. B. G. 2, 13: se suaque eo, id. ib. 3, 28: se suaque in naves, Nep. Them. 2, 7 al.: iter Brundisium versus, Cic. Att. 3, 4 med.; cf.: iter eo, Brut. ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 13, 4: suas rationes et copias in illam provinciam, id. Imp. Pomp. 7, 17: legiones in mediam aciem, Auct. B. Alex. 39; Auct. B. Afr. 60: quos eodem audita Cannensis clades contulerat, Liv. 23, 17, 8: parentes illuc, Tac. A. 4, 46: se Rhodum conferre, Cic. de Or. 3, 56, 213: se Laodiceam, Lent. ap. Cic. Fam. 12, 14, 4: se Colonas, Nep. Paus. 3, 3: quo se fusa acies, Liv. 9, 16, 1 al.: se ad Tissaphernem, Nep. Alcib. 5, 2; so, se ad Pharnabazum, id. Con. 2, 1: se in fugam, Cic. Caecin. 8, 22: sese in pedes, Enn. ap. Non. p. 518, 20; Plaut. Bacch. 3, 1, 7 (cf.: conicere se in pedes, Ter. Phorm. 1, 4, 13).
            Of things: pituita eo se umorve confert, Cels. 2, 12.
          2. (β) Absol.: pulcre haec confertur ratis, is borne away, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 6, 27.
      2. 2. Esp., in Ov. M. (cf. abeo, II.): aliquem in aliquid, to change into, transform to something: aliquem in saxum, Ov. M. 4, 278: versos vultus (poet. circumlocution for se) in hanc, id. ib. 9, 348: corpus in albam volucrem, id. ib. 12, 145.
    2. B. Trop.
      1. 1. In gen., to bring, turn, direct something to; and conferre se, to turn, apply, devote one’s self to, etc.: quo mortuo me ad pontificem Scaevolam contuli, Cic. Lael. 1, 1: (Crassus) cum initio aetatis ad amicitiam se meam contulisset, id. Brut. 81, 281; id. Fam. 11, 29, 2: qui se ad senatūs auctoritatem, ad libertatem vestram contulerunt, id. Phil. 4, 2, 5; id. Ac. 1, 9, 34: se ad studium scribendi, id. Arch. 3, 4: se ad studia litterarum, id. ib. 7, 16; cf. Suet. Gram. 24: meus pater eam seditionem in tranquillum conferet (the figure taken from the sea when in commotion), Plaut. Am. 1, 2, 16: verba ad rem, to bring words to actions, i. e. to pass from words to deeds, Ter. Eun. 4, 6, 4; id. Hec. 3, 1, 17: suspitionem in Capitonem, Cic. Rosc. Am. 35, 100: ut spes votaque sua non prius ad deos quam ad principum aures conferret, Tac. A. 4, 39: lamentationes suas etiam in testamentum, id. ib. 15, 68.
        More freq., in partic.,
      2. 2. With the access. idea of application or communication, to devote or apply something to a certain purpose, to employ, direct, confer, bestow upon, give, lend, grant, to transfer to (a favorite word with Cic.).
          1. (α) With dat.: dona quid cessant mihi Conferre? Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 20: tibi munera, Prop. 2, 3, 25; Nep. Ages. 7, 3: victoribus praemia, Suet. Calig. 20: puellae quinquaginta milia nummūm, Plin. Ep. 6, 32, 2: fructum alio, Ter. Eun. 3, 1, 60; Dig. 37, 6, 1, § 24.
          2. (β) With ad and acc.: hostiles exuvias ornatum ad urbis et posterum gloriam, Tac. A. 3, 72: Mithridates omne reliquum tempus non ad oblivionem veteris belli, sed ad comparationem novi contulit, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 4, 9: omne studium atque omne ingenium ad populi Romani gloriam laudemque celebrandam, id. Arch. 9, 19; id. Fam. 10, 1, 3: omnem meam curam atque operam ad philosophiam, id. ib. 4, 3, 4: omnem tuum amorem omnemque tuam prudentiam … confer ad eam curam, id. Att. 7, 1, 2: animum ad fodiendos puteos, Auct. B. Alex. 9: ad naturae suae non vitiosae genus consilium vivendi omne, Cic. Off. 1, 33, 120: orationem omnem ad misericordiam, id. Lig. 1, 1.
          3. (γ) With in: omnes curas cogitationesque in rem publicam, Cic. Off. 2, 1, 2: diligentiam in valetudinem tuam, id. Fam. 16, 4, 4: praedas ac manubias suas non in monumenta deorum immortalium, neque in urbis ornamenta conferre, sed, etc., id. Agr. 2, 23, 60: in eos, quos speramus nobis profuturos, non dubitamus officia conferre, id. Off. 1, 15, 48; so, plurimum benignitatis in eum, id. ib. 1, 16, 50; id. Lael. 19, 70: curam restituendi Capitolii in L. Vestinum confert, i. e. assigns to, charges with, Tac. H. 4, 53: in unius salutem collata omnium vota, Plin. Pan. 23, 5.
          4. (δ) With erga: commemoratio benevolentiae ejus, quam erga me a pueritiā contulisses, Cic. Fam. 10, 5, 1.
      3. 3. With aliquid ad or in aliquem or aliquid, to refer or ascribe something to a person or thing as its possessor, author (in a good, and freq. in a bad sense), to attribute, impute, assign, ascribe to one, to lay to the charge of: species istas hominum in deos, Cic. N. D. 1, 27, 77: res ad imperium deorum, Lucr. 6, 54: permulta in Plancium, quae ab eo numquam dicta sunt, conferuntur … Stomachor vero, cum aliorum non me digna in me conferuntur, Cic. Planc. 14, 35; id. Fam. 5, 5, 2: mortis illius invidiam in L. Flaccum, id. Fl. 17, 41: suum timorem in rei frumentariae simulationem angustiasque itinerum, Caes. B. G. 1, 40: sua vitia et suam culpam in senectutem, Cic. Sen. 5, 14: hanc ego de re publicā disputationem in Africani personam et Phili contuli, id. Att. 4, 16, 2.
        So esp.: culpam in aliquem, Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 156; Ter. Eun. 2, 3, 97; Cic. Att. 9, 2, a, 1: causam in aliquem, id. ib. 12, 31, 1; Liv. 5, 11, 6; cf.: causam in tempus, Cic. de Or. 3, 61, 228.
      4. 4. To transfer to a fixed point of time, fix, assign, refer, appoint, put off, defer, postpone (cf. differo): Carthaginis expugnationem in hunc annum, Liv. 27, 7, 5: in posterum diem iter suum contulit, Brut. ap. Cic. Fam. 11, 13, 3: omnia in mensem Martium, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 24: aliquid in ambulationis tempus, id. Q. Fr. 3, 3, 1: eam pecuniam in rei publicae magnum aliquod tempus, id. Off. 3, 24, 93: quod in longiorem diem conlaturus fuisset, Caes. B. G. 1, 40 fin.: alicujus consulatum in annum aliquem, Plin. Pan. 61.
        Rarely of place: idoneum locum in agris nactus … ibi adventum expectare Pompei eoque omnem belli rationem conferre constituit, Caes. B. C. 3, 81 fin.
      5. 5. To bring on, cause, occasion, induce: pestem alicui, Col. 1, 5, 4: candorem mollitiamque, Plin. 35, 15, 50, § 175.