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.

fŏdĭo, fōdi, fossum, 3 (ante-class. form of the inf. praes. pass. fodiri, Cato, R. R. 2, 4; Col. 11, 2, 35, but not in Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 21, where the correct read. is exfodivi.
Also acc. to the first conj.: Illyrii restant sicis sibinisque fodantes, Enn. ap. Fest. p. 336 Müll.; cf.: fodare fodere, Paul. ex Fest. p. 84, 7 Müll.), v. n. and a. [Sanscr. root badh-, to dig, ava-bādha, dug out; Gr. βάθος, βαθύς, βένθος, ἄβυσσος, etc., βόθρος, pit; hence, fossa, fundus (for fudnus); cf. Anglo-Sax. bodom; Engl. bottom; Germ. Boden, etc.; cf. Fick, Vergl. Wörterb. p. 131; Grimm, Deutsch. Wörterb. s. v. Boden], to dig, dig up, dig out (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: numquam domum revertor, quin te in fundo conspicer Fodere aut arare, Ter. Heaut. 1, 1, 17; cf.: fodit; invenit auri aliquantum, Cic. Div. 2, 65, 134; and id. de Or. 2, 41, 174: vineas novellas fodere aut arare et postea occare, Varr. R. R. 1, 31, 1; cf.: ut hortum fodiat, Plaut. Poen. 5, 2, 59: hortum, Cato, R. R. 2, 4: arva, Ov. M. 11, 33: solum, Plin. 19, 6, 32: vites, Quint. 9, 4, 5: murum, to undermine, Ov. M. 11, 535; but, vallum, to dig out the earth needed for it, Tac. A. 11, 18: puteum ferramentis, to dig, Plaut. Rud. 2, 4, 19; so, puteos, Caes. B. C. 3, 49, 5: scrobes, trium in altitudinem pedum, id. B. G. 7, 73, 5: fundamenta, Plin. 28, 2, 4, § 15: cubilia (talpae), Verg. G. 1, 183: argentum etiam incolae fodiunt, Liv. 28, 3, 3: gypsum e terra, Plin. 36, 24, 59, § 182: oculos, Plaut. Mil. 2, 4, 21; cf. lumina, Ov. A. A. 1, 339: terram gramineam de cespite, Verg. Cul. 391.
  2. II. Transf., to prick, pierce, wound, thrust, stab (class.): at ego te pendentem fodiam stimulis triginta dies, to prick, Plaut. Men. 5, 5, 48: quia non latus fodi (cultro), id. Aul. 3, 2, 4; so, equi armos calcaribus, Verg. A. 6, 881: guttura cultro, Ov. M. 7, 315: ora hastis, Liv. 8, 10, 6: aversos (elephantos) sub caudis, qua maxime molli cute vulnera accipiunt, id. 21, 55: multos pugionibus, Tac. H. 4, 29: Sarmatam levi gladio, id. ib. 1, 79: ora, id. A. 2, 21; id. Agr. 36: adversa ora resistentium, Curt. 4, 15: La. Dic jussisse te. Ph. Noli fodere: jussi, don’t punch me in the side, Ter. Hec. 3, 5, 17 (cf. fodicare).
    Poet.: Ausonius mersis celer fodit aequora remis, digs through, ploughs through, Sil. 14, 359: aquas (ungula), Ov. F. 3, 456.
    In mal. part., Mart. 7, 102; Auct. Priap. 53.
  3. III. Trop., to goad, sting, disturb: num exspectas, dum te stimulis fodiam? Cic. Phil. 2, 34, 86; cf.: cor stimulo foditur, Plaut. Bacch. 5, 2, 39: pungit dolor, vel fodiat sane, Cic. Tusc. 2, 14, 33: pectus in iras, to excite, stir, Sil. 5, 159.

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.