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.

circum-fĕro, tŭli, lātum, ferre, v. a. to bear round, or, in gen., to move or carry round or about (class. in prose and poetry).

  1. I. Prop.: age circumfer mulsum, pass around, Plaut. Pers. 5, 2, 45: satiatis vino ciboque poculum … circumferetur, Liv. 26, 13, 18: circumferri vinum largius jubet, Curt. 7, 4, 7: hisce (poculis) etiam nunc in publico convivio potio circumfertur, Varr. L. L. 5, § 122 Müll.: sanguinem in pateris, Sall. C. 22, 1; Flor. 4, 1, 4 Duker: circa ea omnia templa Philippum infestos circumtulisse ignes, Liv. 31, 30, 7: reliquias cenae, Suet. Galb. 22: lyram in conviviis, Quint. 1, 10, 19: codicem, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 42, § 104: filium suis manibus, Quint. 2, 15, 8: diuque arma circumferens alia tela clipeo excipiebat, corpore alia vitabat, Curt. 6, 1, 4: ter heros Immanem circumfert tegmine silvam, Verg. A. 10, 887: pavimenta in expeditionibus, Suet. Caes. 46: ubique pellem vituli marini, id. Aug. 90.
    Of books carried about for sale, Quint. 2, 13, 15; 2, 15, 4 al.: huc atque huc acies circumtulit, Verg. A. 12, 558; cf. oculos, to cast around, Ov. M. 6, 169; 15, 674; Liv. 2, 10, 8; 5, 41, 4; Curt. 6, 11, 36; Val. Max. 7, 2, ext. 2: vultus, Ov. M. 3, 241; Suet. Caes. 85.
    Mid.: sol ut circumferatur, revolve, Cic. de Or. 3, 45, 178; cf.: linea circumferens, the circumference, Gromat. Vet. 5, 10: nec mirari hominem mercede conductum … ad nutum licentium circumferri, Curt. 5, 12, 2.
  2. II. Trop. (mostly in the poets and histt.), to spread around: bellum, Liv. 9, 41, 6; 9, 45, 17; 10, 17, 2; 28, 3, 1; Tac. A. 13, 37 (for which: spargere bellum, id. ib. 3, 21): belli umbram, Sil. 15, 316: et circumferentem arma Scipionem omnibus finitimis raptim perdomitis ipsam Carthaginem repente adgressurum credebant, Liv. 30, 9, 3; Flor. 1, pr. 2; 3, 12, 1: signa, id. 3, 5, 29: incendia et caedes et terrorem, Tac. A. 2, 52; cf.: terrorem nominis sui late, Flor. 2, 2, 21: Caesar circumferens terrarum orbi praesentia pacis suae bona, Vell. 2, 92, 2; Plin. Pan. 7, 5.
    1. B. Of a narrative or discourse, to publish abroad, proclaim, divulge, disseminate among the people, report (prob. nct ante-Aug.): ut circumferetur M. Philippi factum atque dictum, Col. 8, 16, 3; Plin. Ep. 3, 11, 1; 6, 8, 2: illud quidem ingens fama, haec nulla circumfert, id. ib. 3, 16, 13.
      With acc. and inf.: novi aliquam, quae se circumferat esse Corinnam, Ov. Am. 2, 17, 29.
      Hence, of writings: circumferri, to be widely circulated, Quint. 2, 13, 15; 2, 15, 4.
    2. C. In the lang. of religion, to lustrate, purify any one by carrying around him consecrated objects (torches, offerings, etc.) = lustrare, purgare: quaeso quin tu istanc jubes Pro cerritā circumferri? Plaut. Am. 2, 2, 144: aliquem pro larvato, id. Fragm. ap. Serv. ad Verg. A. 6, 229: tum ferto omnia sum circumlatus, Lucil. ap. Non. p. 261, 27: idem ter socios purā circumtulit undā, carried around pure water, i. e. for purification (poet. constr. for undam circum socios), Verg. A. 6, 229 Serv. and Wagn.; Veg. 3, 74.
    3. * D. In rhetoric: oratio deducta et circumlata, expanded, drawn out into periods, Quint. 4, 1, 60 Spald.