Lewis & Short

circum-fundo, fūdi, fūsum, 3, v. a., lit. to pour out around, i.e. as in circumdo, either with the acc. of that which is poured, to pour around; or, with the acc. of that around which something is poured, to surround with a liquid (class. in prose and poetry).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. With acc. of the liquid poured (with or without dat. of the object around which): amurcam ad oleam circumfundito, Cato, R. R. 93: Tigris urbi circumfunditur, surrounds, flows round the town, Plin. 6, 27, 31, § 132.
      More freq. in part. perf. pass.: mare circumfusum urbi, the sea flowing around the town, Liv. 30, 9, 12: gens circumfusis invia fluminibus, Ov. F. 5, 582: circumfusus nobis spiritus, Quint. 12, 11, 13: nec circumfuso pendebat in aëre tellus, circumambient, Ov. M. 1, 12; imitated by Tib. 4, 1, 151.
      Reflex.: circumfudit se repente nubes, Lact. 4, 21, 1.
      Once mid.: cum fervet (lac), ne circumfundatur, etc., pour itself out around, i. e. run over, Plin. 28, 9, 33, § 126; cf.: circumfusa nubes, Verg. A. 1, 586.
    2. B. With acc. of the object around which, etc., with or without abl. of the fluid: (mortuum) cerā circumfuderunt, Nep. Ages. 8, 7: terram crassissimus circumfundit aër, encompasses, envelops, Cic. N. D. 2, 6, 17: terra circumfusa illo mari, quem oceanum appellatis, id. Rep. 6, 20, 21: et multo nebulae circum dea fudit amictu (tmesis), Verg. A. 1, 412: quas circumfuderat atra tempestas, Sil. 7, 723.
  2. II. Transf. to objects that do not flow, esp. if there is a great multitude, as it were, heaped upon a thing.
    1. A. (Acc. to I. 1.) Mid., to press upon, crowd around, embrace closely, cling to (freq. in the histt.): circumfunduntur ex reliquis hostes partibus, Caes. B. G. 6, 37; 7, 28; id. B. C. 3. 63: equites infestis cuspidibus circumfunduntur, Liv. 10, 36, 9; 25, 34, 9; 27, 19, 3; 44, 23, 8: (Nymphae) circumfusae Dianam Corporibus texere suis, surrounding, Ov. M. 3, 180: multitudo circumfusa, Caes. B. G. 6, 34; Liv. 2, 28, 6; 4, 46, 6; Curt. 8, 14, 31; Quint. 4, 2, 37.
      With the dat. of that upon which a multitude presses: circumfundebantur obviis sciscitantes, Liv. 22, 7, 11; 22, 14, 15; 26, 27, 10; 29, 34, 14 al.: circumfusa turba lateri meo, id. 6, 15, 9: ut lateribus circumfundi posset equitatus. Curt. 3, 9, 12.
      With acc. (depending on circum): Pacidiussuos equites exporrigere coepit … uthaberent facultatem turmas Julianas circumfundi, to surround, encompass them, Auct. B. Afr. 78 Oud. N. cr.
      Poet. also of a single person: et nunc hac juveni, nunc circumfunditur illac, i. e. clings to, or closely embraces him, Ov. M. 4, 360; 14, 354; cf. with acc.: hunc (sc. Mavortem), tu, diva, tuo recubantem corpore sancto circumfusa super, Lucr. 1, 40.
          1. (β) So once in the active voice, absol.: circumfudit eques, Tac. A. 3, 46.
      1. 2. Trop.: undique circumfusae molestiae, Cic. Tusc. 5, 41, 121: non est tantum ab hostibus aetati nostrae periculum, quantum ab circumfusis undique voluptatibus, Liv 30, 14, 6: circumfuso nitore, Quint. 4, 1, 59.
    2. B. (Acc. to I. 2.) To enclose, environ, surround, overwhelm: circumfusus publicorum praesidiorum copiis, Cic. Mil. 26, 71: praefectum castrorum circumfundunt, Tac. A. 12, 38; so id. H. 2, 19; 4, 20; id. A. 13, 40; Plin. 5, 12, 13, § 67; Sil. 7, 306: circumfusus hostium concursu, Nep. Chabr. 4, 2: M. Catonem vidi in bibliothecā sedentem, multis circumfusum Stoicorum libris, Cic. Fin. 3, 2, 7; Quint. 9, 4, 91, Curt. 3, 11, 4: amplexibus alicujus, Vell. 2, 123, 3: X. milia Bojorum alio latere quam exspectabatur missis legionibus circumfudit, Front. 1, 2, 7.
      1. 2. Trop.: cum has terras incolentes circumfusi erant caligine, Cic. Tusc. 1, 19, 45: latent ista omnia crassis occultata et circumfusa tenebris, id. Ac. 2, 39, 122: ut, quantā luce ea circumfusa sunt, possint agnoscere, id. ib. 2, 15, 46: eos stultitiā obruit, tenebris circumfundit, Lact. 3, 29, 14: circumfundit, aliquem multo splendore, Sen. Tranq. 1, 9.