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.

fossor, ōris, m. [fodio], a digger, delver, ditcher.

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen. (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): et labefacta movens robustus jugera fossor, Verg. G. 2, 264: squalidus in magna compede fossor, Juv. 11, 80; Hor. C. 3, 18, 15; Mart. 7, 71, 4; Col. 11, 2, 38: ceu septa novus jam moenia laxet Fossor, i. e. a miner, sapper, Stat. Th. 2, 419.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. A miner, workman in a mine, Vitr. 7, 8, 1; Calp. Ecl. 4, 118 (cf. aurifossor).
      2. 2. In late Lat., a grave-digger, Inscr. Orell. 4925 al.; cf. fossa, I. B. 3.
      3. 3. In mal. part., a fornicator, Aus. Ep. 49; cf. fossa, I. B. 4.
  2. II. Transf., in gen., in a contemptuous signif., a common laborer, a clown, Cat. 22, 10: cum sis cetera fossor, Pers. 5, 122.