Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

fōmento, āre, v. a. [fomentum], to foment (post-class.): caput, Cael. Aur. Acut. 1, 9; Veg. Vet. 2, 8.

fōmentum, i, n. [contr. from fovimentum from foveo], a warm application, warm lotion or poultice, fomentation.

  1. I. Lit.: calida, Cels. 2, 17 med.: aquae calidae, id. 8, 10, 7: calida, sicca, id. 3, 11 init.; 4, 14; cf. Suet. Aug. 81: assideat, fomenta paret, Hor. S. 1, 1, 82: adhibere, Col. 6, 30, 3: (juvant) fomenta podagrum, Hor. Ep. 1, 2, 52: fomenta vulneribus nulla, i. e. bandages (before, ligamenta), Tac. A. 15, 55.
    1. B. Transf., for fomes, touch-wood, kindling-wood: se ex arboribus fomenta excidisse, Clod. ap. Serv. Verg. A. 1, 176: fomenta ignium varia, Amm. 20, 7, 12.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. A lenitive, mitigation, alleviation: haec sunt solatia, haec fomenta summorum dolorum, Cic. Tusc. 2, 24, 59; cf.: patentiae, fortitudinis fomentis dolor mitigari solet, id. Fin. 2, 29, 95: militaribus animis adhibenda fomenta, ut ferre pacem velint, Tac. A. 1, 46: paupertati suae fomenta conquirere, App. M. 2, p. 124; Quint. 4, 3, 10: ut haec ingrata ventis dividat Fomenta, vulnus nil malum levantia, i. e. consolations, Hor. Epod. 11, 17.
    2. B. Poet. transf., nourishment: quodsi frigida curarum fomenta relinquere posses, Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 26.