Lewis & Short

pasco, pāvi, pastum, 3, v. a. and n. [root pa-; Sanscr. gō-pas, herdsman; Gr. πατέομαι; cf. pabulum, pastor, Pales, panis; perh. also, Penates, penum], to cause to eat, to feed, pasture.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. Of animals, to pasture, drive to pasture, to feed, attend to the feeding of, etc. (cf. pabulor): cum sues puer pasceret, Cic. Div. 1, 17, 31: greges armentaque pavit, Ov. M. 6, 395: non, me pascente, capellae, cytisum carpetis, Verg. E. 1, 78: turpes sub gurgite phocas, id. G. 4, 395: ut pasceret porcos, Vulg. Luc. 15, 15.
      1. 2. = depasco, of land, to pasture, give as a pasture: et vomere duros Exercent collis atque horum asperrima pascunt, Verg. A. 11. 319.
    2. B. In gen., to feed, supply with food: quot greges et quantos sit pasturus, Varr. R. R. 2, 1, 24: bestias pascere, Cic. Off. 2, 4, 14: a quo (Catone) cum quaereretur, quid maxime in re familiari expediret? respondit: Bene pascere. Quid secundum? Satis bene pascere. Quid tertium? Male pascere, id. ib. 2, 25, 89: quid refert, quantum pascat aut feneret? Sen. Ep. 2, 5: plures calones atque caballi Pascendi, Hor. S. 1, 6, 103.
      1. 2. To feed, nourish, maintain, support (syn.: alo, nutrio): olusculis nos soles pascere, used to feed us with vegetables, Cic. Att. 6, 1, 13: quos, dives Anagnia, pascis, quos, Amasene pater, Verg. A. 7, 684: servi, ad quos pascendos transmarinarum regionum est optanda fertilitas, Sen. Ep. 17, 3; so, servos, Juv. 3, 141: viginti ventres pasco et canem, Petr. 57: nullā provinciarum pascente Italiam, Plin. 18, 3, 4, § 15: Juv. 7, 93.
        Of one who gives frequent entertainments, to feast, entertain: cum plurimos suis sumptibus pasceret, Spart. Hadr. 17; Lampr. Alex. Sev. 41: se sutoris arte pascere, earn a living, Aug. Civ. Dei, 22, 8.
        Rarely of things: et volsis pascunt radicibus herbae (sc. me), Verg. A. 3, 650.
      2. 3. To cherish, cultivate, let grow, feed, etc.
        Poet.: barbam, i.e. to cherish, to let grow, πωγωνοτροφεῖν, Hor. S. 2, 3, 35: sacrum (Baccho) crinem, Verg. A. 7, 391: genas Phoebo, crinem Iaccho, Stat. Th. 8, 493: Danaas paverunt Pergama flammas, fed, Ov. M. 14, 467: ubi Taurica dira Caede pharetratae pascitur ara deae, id. Tr. 4, 4, 63: polus dum sidera pascet, Verg. A. 1, 608; Luc. 10, 258: umbra pascens sata, Plin. 17, 12, 18, § 90: brevitate crassitudinem pascens, Plin. 14, 1, 3, § 13: agros, to till, cultivate, Mart. 10, 58, 9: nummos alienos, to keep adding to, heap debt on debt, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 35.
      3. 4. Of animals, to graze, browse (poet.): pascentes capellae, Verg. E. 3, 96: columbae, id. A. 6, 199: saltibus in vacuis pascunt, id. G 3, 143: sed tunc pascebant herbosa Palatia vaccae, Tib. 2, 5, 25: ire vis, mula, pastum foras, Plaut. Most. 4, 1, 22.
        Esp.
        1. b. In pass. reflex., with dep. force: cetera pascuntur viridis armenta per herbas, Verg. G. 3, 162: pascitur in magnā Silā formosa juvenca, id. ib. 3, 219: frondibus et victu pascuntur simplicis herbae, id. ib. 3, 528: carice pastus acutā, id. ib. 3, 231; 341: si pulli non pascentur, Liv. 6, 41, 8: iterum pasto pascitur ante cibo, chews the cud, Ov. Am. 3, 5, 17 sq.
          1. (β) Like depascere, with acc.: silvas, Verg. G. 3, 314: mala gramina, id. A. 2, 471: apes arbuta, id. G. 4, 181: beluae pastae radices fruticum, Plin. 9, 3, 2, § 7.
  2. II. Trop.
      1. 1. To feast, to gratify: quos P. Clodii furor rapinis et incendiis et omnibus exitiis pavit, Cic. Mil. 2, 3: alicujus cruciatu atque supplicio pascere oculos animumque exsaturare, to feast, id. Verr. 2, 5, 26, § 65; cf.: in ejus corpore lacerando … oculos paverit suos, id. Phil. 11, 3, 8; Sen. Ep. 6, 6, 25: animum picturā pascit inani, Verg. A. 1, 464: spes inanes, to cherish, id. ib. 10, 627.
        Of style: omnia quasi eodem cibo pasta, Petr. S. 2.
        1. b. Pass. reflex.: his ego rebus pascor, his delector, feast myself, Cic. Pis. 20, 45: pasci discordiis civium et seditione, id. Sest. 46, 99: ego hic pascor bibliothecā Fausti, id. Att. 4, 10, 1: qui maleficio et scelere pascuntur, live by, id. Off. 2, 11, 40: otia corpus alunt: animus quoque pascitur illis, Ov. P. 1, 4, 21: pasci dolore alicujus, id. M. 6, 280.
      2. 2. To lay waste, ravage, desolate: vestros campos, Liv. 25, 12: et pascent terram Assur in gladio, Vulg. Mic. 5, 6; cf.: pasce populum tuum in virgā tuā, id. ib. 7, 14.