con-fŏdĭo, fōdi, fossum, 3, to dig thoroughly, dig round about, to prepare by digging (orig. pertaining to agriculture).
- I. Prop.: terram minute, Cato, R. R. 129: jugera, Varr. R. R. 1, 18, 2: hortum, Plaut. Aul. 2, 2, 66: loca palustria, Sisenn. ap. Non. p. 141, 31: vineta, Col. 4, 5: salices, Plin. 17, 20, 32, § 142.
- B. Transf., to strike down by stabbing, to pierce, stab, transfix: constituere (Ciceronem) de improviso domi suae confodere, Sall. C. 28, 1: ibique pugnans confoditur, id. ib. 60, 7; Nep. Pelop. 5, 4; Liv. 24, 7, 5; Suet. Caes. 81; 82; id. Aug. 27; 51; id. Calig. 28; 59; id. Claud. 26; id. Tit. 6; Verg. A. 9, 445; Ov. M. 5, 176; Luc. 3, 744; Curt. 3, 11, 11; 4, 16, 23; Vell. 2, 22, 3; Val. Fl. 6, 418; Cic. Sull. 11, 33 dub.
- II. Trop. (rare; not ante-Aug.): tot judiciis confossi, praedamnatique, = pierced through, Liv. 5, 11, 12: mala quae vos ab omni parte confodiunt, Sen. Vit. Beat. 27, 6: cujus causa, quamquam gravissimis criminibus erat confossa, i. e. seriously damaged, Val. Max. 8, 1, abs. 11: quaedam (scripta) notis confodias, you strike or cross out, Plin. Ep. 9, 26, 13.
Hence, confos-sus, a, um, P. a., pierced through, full of holes: te faciam Confossiorem soricina nenia, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 8, 48.