1. ăd-ŏlĕo, ui. ultum, 2, v. a. [oleo].
- I. To magnify; hence, in sacrificial language, to which this word chiefly belongs, to honor, to worship, or to offer in worship, to sacrifice, burn, according as it has such words as deos, aras, etc., or hostiam, viscera, and tura, for its object; v. explanation of this word in Non. 58, 21: “Adolere verbum est proprie sacra reddentium, quod significat votis ac supplicationibus numen auctius facere;” and “Adolere est urere, Verg. in Bucol. [8, 65], verbenasque adole pinguis et mascula tura. Adolere, augere, honorare, propitiare; et est verbum sacratum, ut macte, magis aucte.” etc.; so Serv. ad Verg. A. 1, 704: “Flammis adolere penates, i. e. colere, sed adolere est proprie augere. In sacris autem, κατ’ εὐφημισμόν, adolere per bonum omen dicitur, nam in aris non adolentur aliqua, sed cremantur,”) and ad E. 8, 65: “Adole: incende, sed κατ’ εὐφημισμὸν dicitur; nam adole est auge” (not used in Cic.): sanguine conspergunt aras adolentque altaria donis, cover the altar with gifts, Lucr. 4, 1237: castis adolet dum altaria taedis, Verg. A. 7, 71: verbenasque adole pingues et mascula tura, id. E. 8, 65 (on which Serv. l. l.): flammis adolere penates, id. A. 1, 704: viscera tauri, Ov. F. 3, 803; 1, 276: focos, Stat. Th. 1, 514: cruore captivo adolere aras, to sprinkle the altars with the blood of captives, Tac. A. 14, 30: precibus et igne puro altaria adolentur, id. H. 2, 3: adolere honores, to honor the gods by offered gifts: Junoni Argivae jussos adolemus honores, Verg. A. 3, 547: nullos aris adoleret honores, Ov. M. 8, 741.
- II. In later Lat., in gen., to burn, consume by fire: ut leves stipulae demptis adolentur aristis, Ov. M. 4, 192: id (corpus) igne adoleatur, Col. 12, 31: ut Aeneida, quam nondum satis elimāsset, adolerent, Gell. 17, 10: quas (prunas) gravi frigore adoleri multas jusserat, Eutr. 10, 9.