Lewis & Short

1. spargo, si, sum, 3 (old inf. spargier, Hor. C. 4, 11, 8), v. a. [Sanscr. root sparç, to touch, sprinkle; M. H. Germ. Sprengen; cf. Gr. σπείρω], to strew, throw here and there, cast, hurl, or throw about, scatter; to bestrew; to sprinkle, spatter, wet; to bespatter, bedew, moisten, etc. (freq. and class.; syn. sero).

  1. I. Lit., in gen.: semen, Cic. Rosc. Am. 18, 50: semina, id. Div. 1, 3, 6; Quint. 1, 3, 5; 2, 9, 3; Ov. M. 5, 647: humi, mortalia semina, dentes, id. ib. 3, 105: per humum, nova semina, dentes, id. ib. 4, 573: vipereos dentes in agros, id. ib. 7, 122: nummos populo de Rostris, Cic. Phil. 3, 6, 16: venena, id. Cat. 2, 10, 23: nuces, Verg. E. 8, 30: flores, id. A. 6, 884; Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 14: rosas, id. C. 3, 19, 22: frondes, id. ib. 3, 18, 14: hastati spargunt hastas, cast or hurl about, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 287 Vahl.): hastas, id. ap. Macr. 6, 4: tela, Verg. A. 12, 51; Ov. M. 12, 600: harenam pedibus, Verg. E. 3, 87; id. A. 9, 629 et saep.
    Absol.: sagittarius cum funditore utrimque spargunt, hurl, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 1, 1.
    1. B. Esp., of liquids, to sprinkle, scatter: umorem passim toto terrarum in orbi, Lucr. 6, 629: cruorem, id. 2, 195: per totam domum aquas, Hor. Epod. 5, 26 et saep.
  2. II. Transf., to bestrew, strew, scatter upon: spargite humum foliis, bestrew, strew, Verg. E. 5, 40; so, virgulta fimo pingui, id. G. 2, 347: molā caput salsā, Hor. S. 2, 3, 200: gruem sale multo, id. ib. 2, 8, 87: (jus) croco, id. ib. 2, 4, 68: umerum capillis, id. C. 3, 20, 14: tempora canis, Ov. M. 8, 567 al.
      1. 2. To besprinkle, sprinkle, moisten, wet, etc.: saxa spargens tabo, sanie et sanguine atro, sprinkling, wetting, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 44, 107; id. Pis. 19, 43 (Trag. v. 414 Vahl.): aras sanguine multo quadrupedum, Lucr. 5, 1202: aram immolato agno, Hor. C. 4, 11, 8: ora genasque lacrimis, Lucr. 2, 977: debitā lacrimā favillam amici, Hor. C. 2, 6, 23: corpus fluviali lymphā, Verg. A. 4, 635: proximos umore oris, Quint. 11, 3, 56 et saep.: anguis aureis maculis sparsus, sprinkled over, spotted, flecked, Liv. 41, 21, 13: sparsā, non convolutā canitie, Plin. 36, 7, 11, § 55: capreoli sparsis etiam nunc pellibus albo, Verg. E. 2, 41: tectum nitidius, aure aut coloribus sparsum, covered over, Sen. Ben. 4, 6, 2; cf.: priscis sparsa tabellis Livia Porticus, Ov. A. A. 1, 71: sparso ore, adunco naso, with a spotty or freckled face, * Ter. Heaut. 5, 5, 18.
        Absol.: exi, Dave, Age, sparge: mundum esse hoc vestibulum volo, sprinkle, * Plaut. Fragm. ap. Gell. 18, 12, 4: verrite aedes, spargite, Titin. ap. Charis. p. 183 P. (Com. Rel. p. 130 Rib.): qui verrunt, qui spargunt, Cic. Par. 5, 2, 37.
    1. B. To scatter, separate, disperse, divide, spread out (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose for the class. dispergere, dissipare): omnibus a rebus … Perpetuo fluere ac mitti spargique necesse est Corpora, Lucr. 6, 922: res sparsas et vage disjectas diligenter eligere, Auct. Her. 4, 2, 3: (aper) spargit canes, Ov. M. 8, 343: corpora, id. ib. 7, 442: sparsus silebo, Sen. Herc. Oet. 1394: sparsam tempestate classem vidit, Liv. 37, 13: sparsi per vias speculatores, id. 9, 23: exercitum spargi per provincias, Tac. H. 3, 46 fin.: (natura) sparsit haec (cornua) in ramos, Plin. 11, 37, 45, § 123: fulgentes radios in orbem (gemma), id. 37, 10, 67, § 181: (Sicoris) Spargitur in sulcos, Luc. 4, 142: spargas tua prodigus, you dissipate, squander, waste, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 195: stare et spargere sese hastis, scatter, disperse, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 154 Vahl.): se in fugam passim spargere, Liv 33, 15, 15: saepe solet scintilla suos se spargere in ignes (shortly before, dissilire and dividi), Lucr. 4, 606: Rhenus ab septentrione in lacus, ab occidente in amnem Mosam se spargit, Plin. 4, 15, 29, § 101: magnum ab Argis Alciden, to separate, part, Val. Fl. 5, 488: sparsis consumptisque fratribus bello intestinae discordiae, Just. 27, 3, 1.
  3. III. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to distribute, spread abroad, spread, extend: animos in corpora humana, Cic. Sen. 21, 77: omnia spargere ac disseminare, id. Arch. 12, 30: sparserat Argolicas nomen vaga Fama per urbes Theseos, Ov. M. 8, 267: genera enim tractamus in species multas sese spargentia, Plin. 21, 8, 22, § 45: spargit legiones, nova cottidie bello semina ministrat, Tac. H. 2, 76: vestigia fugae, Curt. 5, 13, 18.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Of speech, to intersperse, interpose, insert a word or words; of a report or rumor, to spread or noise abroad, to circulate, report (so perh. not ante-Aug.; syn. dissemino): cum vigilans Quartae esto partis Ulixes Audieris heres: Ergo nunc Dama sodalis Nusquam est? etc. … Sparge subinde, break in with, Hor. S. 2, 5, 103; cf.’ libris actorum spargere gaudes Argumenta viri, Juv. 9, 84; Quint. 8, 3, 53: spargere voces In vulgum ambiguas, Verg. A. 2, 98: suspitiones, Quint. 7, 2, 12: in parentes crimina, id. 9, 2, 80: fama spargitur, Stat. Th. 9, 33.
        Pass. impers., with obj.-clause: spargebatur insuper, Albinum insigne regis et Jubae nomen usurpare, Tac. H. 2, 58 fin.
      2. 2. Pregn., of time: satis multum temporis sparsimus, wasted, consumed aimlessly, Sen. Ep. 19, 1.
        Hence, sparsus, a, um, P. a., spread open or out: sparsior racemus, Plin. 16, 34, 62, § 146: uberior Nilo, generoso sparsior istro, Ven. Vit. S. Mart. 1, 129.