foedo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [1. foedus], to make foul, filthy, hideous; to defile, pollute, disfigure, mar, deform (mostly poet. and in postAug. prose).
- I. Physically: Harpyiae contactu omnia foedant immundo, Verg. A. 3, 227: foedare in pulvere crines, id. ib. 12, 99: canitiem vultusque seniles pulvere, Ov. M. 8, 530: ignes sanguine per aras, Verg. A. 2, 502; Ov. M. 3, 723: tellurem calido sanguine, id. ib. 6, 238: brachia tabo, id. ib. 14, 190: pectora pugnis, unguibus ora, Verg. A. 11, 86: ora, Tac. Agr. 36: aliquem verberibus, id. H. 3, 77: ferro foedati jacent, Enn. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 3, 241 (Trag. v. 442 ed. Vahl.); cf.: foedant et proterunt hostium copias, i. e. mar or mutilate with wounds, wound, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 91: qui me (i. e. Prometheum) perenni vivum foedat miseria, Cic. Poët. Tusc. 2, 10, 24: obscenas pelagi ferro foedare volucres, Verg. A. 3, 241: foedati agri, terror injectus urbi est, laid waste, Liv. 3, 26, 1.
Of inanim. subjects: nulla tectoria eorum rimae foedavere, Plin. 36, 23, 55, § 176: nubes foedavere lumen, Sall. Fragm. ap. Serv Verg. A. 2, 286; cf.: aër assiduo noctem foedaverat imbre, Claud. VI. Cons. Hon. 538.
- II. Trop., to disgrace, dishonor, mar, sully: (Graeci) nos quoque dictitant barbaros et spurcius nos quam alios opicos appellatione foedant, Cato ap. Plin. 29, 1, 7, § 14: foedati crimine turpi, Lucr. 3, 49: gloriam majorum, Plaut. Trin. 3, 2, 30; cf.: Romam ipsam foedavit adventus tuus, Cic. Pis. 22, 53: ne vestis serica viros foedaret, Tac. A. 2, 33: procerum conubiis mixtis, id. G. 46: castra pollui foedarique a Classico ne sinatis, id. H. 4, 58: egregia erga populum Romanum merita mox rebelles foedarunt, id. ib. 4, 37: foedata per avaritiam victoria, id. A. 4, 19; 11, 6; 15, 32: multiplici clade foedatus annus, Liv. 3, 32, 4.