Lewis & Short

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fossa, ae, f. [fodio, i. e. fossa terra], a ditch, trench, fosse (syn.: fovea, scrobs, fossio).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: salso suffudit gurgite fossas, Lucr. 5, 482: fodere fossam, Liv. 3, 26, 9: ut unus aditus maximo aggere objecto fossa cingeretur vastissima, Cic. Rep. 2, 6: (oppidum) vallo et fossa circumdedi, id. Fam. 15, 4, 10: pomarium circummunire fossă praecipiti, Col. 5, 10, 1: circumdare moenia vallo atque fossā, Sall. J. 23, 1; and, in a different construction: circumdare fossam latam cubiculari lecto, Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 59: vallo fossaque munire, Caes. B. G. 2, 5 fin.; cf.: Rheni fossam immanissimis gentibus objicere et opponere, Cic. Pis. 33, 81: fossa et vallo aliquem septum tenere, id. Att. 9, 12, 3: fossam pedum XX. directis lateribus duxit, Caes. B. G. 7, 72, 1; so, fossam ducere, id. ib. 7, 73, 2: transversam fossam obducere, id. ib. 2, 8, 3: praeducere, id. B. C. 1, 27, 3: institutae fossae, id. ib. 3, 46, 5: ut flumen nullam in partem depressis fossis derivari posset, sunk deeper, Hirt. B. G. 8, 40, 3: deprimere fossam, id. ib. 8, 9, 3; cf. Tac. A. 15, 42; 1, 65; Ov. F. 4, 821: cruor in fossam confusus, Hor. S. 1, 8, 28.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. A gutter, waterway, = colliciae, Verg. G. 1, 326; 1, 372.
      2. 2. A furrow drawn to mark foundations, etc.: ipse humili designat moenia fossa, Verg. A. 7, 157; Ov. F. 4, 839; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, 32, § 143.
      3. 3. A grave (late Lat.): FILETIVS VSQVE AT FOTSA (ad fossam), Inscr. Orell. 4794, v. fossor.
      4. 4. In mal. part.: pudenda muliebria, Auct. Priap. 84; cf.: inter Socraticos notissima fossa cinaedos, Juv. 2, 10.
      5. 5. Fos-sa Drūsiāna, v. Drusus.
  2. * II. Trop., a boundary: alicui fossam determinare, Tert. adv. Haer. 10.