Lewis & Short

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ălĭmentum, i, n. [alo], nourishment, nutriment; and concr., food, provisions, aliment (in the poets only in the plur.).

  1. I. In gen.: alimenta corporis, Cic. Univ. 6: plus alimenti est in pane quam in ullo alio, Cels. 2, 18; so id. 8, 1; Plin. 17, 13, 20: alimenta reponere in hiemem, Quint. 2, 16, 16; Suet. Tib. 54; cf. Tac. A. 6, 23: alimenta petens, Vulg. Gen. 41, 55: alimenta negare, Ov. Tr 5, 8, 13: habentes alimenta et quibus tegamur, Vulg. 1 Tim. 6, 8.
    In the jurists: alimenta, all things which pertain to the support of life, aliment, maintenance, support, Dig. 34, tit. 1, De alimentis, and 1. 6.
    Poet. (very freq. in Ovid): picem et ceras, alimentaque cetera flammae, Ov. M. 14, 532: concipit Iris aquas, alimentaque nubibus affert, id. ib. 1, 271: lacrimaeque alimenta fuere, tears were his food, id. ib. 10, 75 (cf.: fuerunt mihi lacrimae meae panes die ac nocte, Vulg. Psa. 41, 4): ignis, Ov. M. 8, 837.
    Trop.: vitiorum, Ov. M. 2, 769: furoris, id. ib. 3, 479: addidit alimenta rumoribus, gave new support to the rumors, Liv. 35, 23 fin.: alimentum famae, Tac. H. 2, 96: alimentum virtutis honos, Val. Max. 2, 6, 5.
  2. II. Esp., for the Gr. τροφεῖα or θρέπτρα, the reward or recompense due to parents from children for their rearing: quasi alimenta exspectarct a nobis (patria), Cic. Rep. 1, 4 Mos. (in Val. Fl. 6, 570, this is expressed by nutrimenta; in Dig. 50, 13, 1, § 14, by nutricia).