fŏvĕo, fōvi, fōtum, 2, v. a. [Corss. assumes a root bhag-, to be hot; Gr. φώγειν, to roast; O. H. Germ. bachan; Germ. backen; Engl. bake; hence, fovere for fog-vēre; favilla for fag-villa; and to this refers: favere, faustus, etc., Ausspr. 1, 142; 2, 1004; but cf. Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 188, and v. faveo], to warm, keep warm (class.; esp. freq. in the transf. and trop. signif.; syn.: calefacio: faveo, studeo, adjuvo, etc.).
- I. Lit.: nisi sol sua pro parte fovet tribuitque calorem, Lucr. 1, 807; cf. id. 1, 1033: ut et pennis (pullos) foveant, ne frigore laedantur, Cic. N. D. 2, 52, 129; cf.: pulli a matribus exclusi fotique, id. ib. 2, 48, 124: fetus rigentes apprimendo pectori, Plin. 8, 36, 54, § 127: laridum atque epulas foveri foculis ferventibus, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 67: quos sancta fovet ille manu, bene vivitis ignes, i. e. keeps up, Ov. F. 3, 427; for which, in a different construction: fovet ignibus aras, id. M. 7, 427: nomen in marmore lectum Perfudit lacrimis et aperto pectore fovit, warmed the name with her naked breast, id. ib. 2, 339.
- II. Transf., to cherish, foster any thing.
- A. Physically. So of diseased parts of the body, to foment (whether with warm or cold remedies): dumque manet corpus, corpus refoventque foventque, Ov. M. 8, 536: nares exulceratas fovere oportet vapore aquae calidae, Cels. 6, 8: multa aqua prius calida, post egelida fovendum os caputque, id. 4, 2, 4: genua calido aceto, Col. 6, 12, 4: nervos cortice et foliis in vino decoctis, Plin. 24, 9, 37, § 58; 32, 9, 34, § 106: cutem lacte asinino, id. 28, 12, 50, § 183: os quoque multa frigida aqua fovendum est, Cels. 1, 5; 1, 3 init.: cutem frigida et ante et postea, Plin. 28, 12, 50, § 184: vulnus lymphă, Verg. A. 12, 420.
Poet., in gen. (a favorite word with Vergil): interdum gremio fovet inscia Dido (puerum), cherishes, holds in her lap, Verg. A. 1, 718: germanam sinu, id. ib. 4, 686: cunctantem lacertis amplexu molli, i. e. to embrace, enfold, id. ib. 8, 388: animas et olentia Medi ora fovent, id. G. 2, 135: ipse aeger, anhelans Colla fovet, i. e. leans against the tree, id. A. 10, 838: castra fovere, to remain in the camp (the figure being that of a bird brooding over its nest), id. ib. 9, 57: (coluber) fovit humum, id. G. 3, 420; and transf. to a period of time: nunc hiemem inter se luxu, quam longa, fovere, Regnorum immemores, sit the winter through, pass the winter, id. A. 4, 193.
- B. Mentally, to cherish, caress, love, favor, support, assist, encourage: scribis de Caesaris summo in nos amore. Hunc et tu fovebis et nos quibuscumque poterimus rebus augebimus, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 3, § 9; cf.: inimicum meum sic fovebant, etc., id. Fam. 1, 9, 10: Vettienum, ut scribis, et Faberium foveo, id. Att. 15, 13, 3: et eo puto per Pomponium fovendum tibi esse Hortensium, id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 8; cf. also Quint. 1, 2, 16: (duo duces) pugnantes hortabantur et prope certa fovebant spe, encouraged, animated, Liv. 38, 6, 5: tribuni plebis in cooptandis collegis patrum voluntatem foverunt, id. 3, 65, 1; cf.: res alicujus, id. 24, 36, 9; 26, 36, 6: spem potentioris, id. 40, 5, 5: rex statuerat utram foveret partem, id. 42, 29, 11; cf. id. 5, 3, 9: consilia alicujus, Tac. H. 1, 46: spectator populus hos, rursus illos clamore et plausu fovebat, id. ib. 3, 83: tu mihi gubernacula rei publicae petas fovendis hominum sensibus et deleniendis animis et adhibendis voluptatibus? by pampering, Cic. Mur. 35, 74: partes alicujus, Tac. H. 1, 8; 1, 14: adolescentiam alicujus exhortationibus, Plin. Ep. 1, 14, 1; cf.: ut propria naturae bona doctrina foverent, Quint. 2, 8, 3: ingenia et artes, Suet. Vesp. 18: quam magis in pectore meo foveo, quas meus filius turbas turbet, i. e. dwell upon, think over, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 10, 1: vota animo, Ov. M. 7, 633: spem, Mart. 9, 49, 4: nequiquam eos perditam spem fovere, Liv. 22, 53, 4; cf. Tac. H. 1, 62; Val. Max. 6 praef. § 9; cf. conversely: ut spes vos foveat, may sustain you, Just. Inst. prooem. 7: hoc regnum dea gentibus esse, jam tum tenditque fovetque, cherishes, Verg. A. 1, 18: dum illud tractabam, de quo antea scripsi ad te, quasi fovebam dolores meos (the fig. being taken from the fomenting of diseased parts of the body; v. above, II. A.), Cic. Att. 12, 18, 1: pantomimos fovebat effusius, Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 4.