Lewis & Short

contāgĭo, ōnis, f., contāgĭum, ii, n., and contāmen, ĭnis, n. (contagium only in poets—and in plur.—and in postAug. prose writers; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 59, 12; Non. p. 199, 2; Marc. Vict. 1, p. 2469 P.; cf. also colluvio: contamen only in late Lat.) [id.], a touching, contact, touch, in a good or bad sense.

  1. I. In gen.
          1. (α) Contagio, Cato, R. R. 132 fin.: anima calescit … contagione pulmonum, Cic. N. D. 2, 55, 138: corporis, id. Div. 1, 30, 63; 2, 43, 92; id. Fat. 3, 5: ab omni mentione et contagione Romanorum abstinere, Liv. 40, 20, 6.
          2. (β) Contagium, Lucr. 3, 346; 3, 740; Plin. 2, 20, 18, § 82; Mart. 11, 47.
    1. B. Pregn., a union, connection: contagio naturae valet, Cic. Fat. 3, 5.
  2. II. Freq., in a bad sense, a contacl with something physically or morally unclean, a contagion, infection.
    1. A. Lit.
          1. (α) Contagio: nolite ad me adire, ne contagio mea bonis obsit, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 12, 26 (Trag. Rel. v. 405 Vahl.); cf. Cic. de Or. 3, 41, 164: velut contagione quādam pestiferā insanire, Liv. 28, 34, 4: tum praecipue oves contagione vexentur, Col. 7, 5, 6; so id. 7, 5, 16: lichenis, Plin. 26, 1, 3, § 3: vini, id. 14, 21, 27, § 134 al.
          2. (β) Contagium: morbi, Lucr. 3, 472; 6, 1235; Curt. 9, 10, 1; cf. pestilentiae, Plin. 23, 8, 80, § 157: vicini pecoris, Verg. E. 1, 51.
            Absol.: agunt contagia late, Ov. M. 7, 551; Hor. Epod. 16, 61 al.
    2. B. Trop., an infection, pollution, vicious companionship or intercourse, participation, contamination, etc.
          1. (α) Contagio: contagione mei patris metuo malum, Plaut. Am. prol. 31; so with the gen.: illius sceleris, Cic. Mur. 37, 78; id. Sull. 2, 6: criminis, Liv. 9, 34, 14: turpitudinis, Cic. Att. 1, 16, 3: conscientiae, id. Verr. 2, 5, 71, § 183: furoris, Liv. 28, 24, 10: cujus facti dictive, id. 2, 37, 7: noxae, id. 9, 1, 6: imitandi belli, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 3, § 6; cf. belli, Flor. 2, 13, 1: bellorum, id. 2, 2, 4: aspectus, Cic. Clu. 68, 193.
            Plur.: contagiones malorum, quae a Lacedaemoniis profectae manaverunt latius, Cic. Off. 2, 23, 80.
            Absol.: haec (vitia) primo paulatim crescere; post, ubi contagio quasi pestilentia invasit, civitas immutata, etc., * Sall. C. 10 fin.; Liv. 5, 6, 11; 5, 12, 7; 10, 18, 2 al.; Flor. 1, 9, 8.
          2. (β) Contagium: aegrae mentis, Ov. Tr. 3, 8, 25: scelerum, Luc. 3, 322: lucri (connected with scabies), Hor. Ep. 1, 12, 14: belli, Flor. 1, 15, 1: deditionis, id. 3, 14, 2: terrae, Ov. M. 15, 195.
          3. (γ) Contamen, Tert. Carm. adv. Marc. 1, 1; 4, 4; Mart. Cap. 1, § 10 Kopp.