Lewis & Short

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2. fōtus, ūs, m. [foveo], a warming, fomenting (post-Aug., rare except in abl.).

  1. I. Lit., Amm. 21, 2, 3: solis, Lact. 1, 12, 7: decoctum eorum coeliacos juvat et potione et fotu, Plin. 23, 1, 10, § 14; 23, 9, 82, § 164: fotus ex aqua calida, Cael. Aur. Tard. 2, 7, 97.
    In plur., Mart. Cap. 1, § 35: blandis, Prud. Ham. 304.
  2. II. Trop.: queis gloria fotibus aucta Sic cluat, Prud. cont. Symm. 2, 584.

fŏvĕo, fōvi, fōtum, 2, v. a. [Corss. assumes a root bhag-, to be hot; Gr. φώγειν, to roast; O. H. Germ. bachan; Germ. backen; Engl. bake; hence, fovere for fog-vēre; favilla for fag-villa; and to this refers: favere, faustus, etc., Ausspr. 1, 142; 2, 1004; but cf. Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 188, and v. faveo], to warm, keep warm (class.; esp. freq. in the transf. and trop. signif.; syn.: calefacio: faveo, studeo, adjuvo, etc.).

  1. I. Lit.: nisi sol sua pro parte fovet tribuitque calorem, Lucr. 1, 807; cf. id. 1, 1033: ut et pennis (pullos) foveant, ne frigore laedantur, Cic. N. D. 2, 52, 129; cf.: pulli a matribus exclusi fotique, id. ib. 2, 48, 124: fetus rigentes apprimendo pectori, Plin. 8, 36, 54, § 127: laridum atque epulas foveri foculis ferventibus, Plaut. Capt. 4, 2, 67: quos sancta fovet ille manu, bene vivitis ignes, i. e. keeps up, Ov. F. 3, 427; for which, in a different construction: fovet ignibus aras, id. M. 7, 427: nomen in marmore lectum Perfudit lacrimis et aperto pectore fovit, warmed the name with her naked breast, id. ib. 2, 339.
  2. II. Transf., to cherish, foster any thing.
    1. A. Physically. So of diseased parts of the body, to foment (whether with warm or cold remedies): dumque manet corpus, corpus refoventque foventque, Ov. M. 8, 536: nares exulceratas fovere oportet vapore aquae calidae, Cels. 6, 8: multa aqua prius calida, post egelida fovendum os caputque, id. 4, 2, 4: genua calido aceto, Col. 6, 12, 4: nervos cortice et foliis in vino decoctis, Plin. 24, 9, 37, § 58; 32, 9, 34, § 106: cutem lacte asinino, id. 28, 12, 50, § 183: os quoque multa frigida aqua fovendum est, Cels. 1, 5; 1, 3 init.: cutem frigida et ante et postea, Plin. 28, 12, 50, § 184: vulnus lymphă, Verg. A. 12, 420.
      Poet., in gen. (a favorite word with Vergil): interdum gremio fovet inscia Dido (puerum), cherishes, holds in her lap, Verg. A. 1, 718: germanam sinu, id. ib. 4, 686: cunctantem lacertis amplexu molli, i. e. to embrace, enfold, id. ib. 8, 388: animas et olentia Medi ora fovent, id. G. 2, 135: ipse aeger, anhelans Colla fovet, i. e. leans against the tree, id. A. 10, 838: castra fovere, to remain in the camp (the figure being that of a bird brooding over its nest), id. ib. 9, 57: (coluber) fovit humum, id. G. 3, 420; and transf. to a period of time: nunc hiemem inter se luxu, quam longa, fovere, Regnorum immemores, sit the winter through, pass the winter, id. A. 4, 193.
    2. B. Mentally, to cherish, caress, love, favor, support, assist, encourage: scribis de Caesaris summo in nos amore. Hunc et tu fovebis et nos quibuscumque poterimus rebus augebimus, Cic. Q. Fr. 3, 1, 3, § 9; cf.: inimicum meum sic fovebant, etc., id. Fam. 1, 9, 10: Vettienum, ut scribis, et Faberium foveo, id. Att. 15, 13, 3: et eo puto per Pomponium fovendum tibi esse Hortensium, id. Q. Fr. 1, 3, 8; cf. also Quint. 1, 2, 16: (duo duces) pugnantes hortabantur et prope certa fovebant spe, encouraged, animated, Liv. 38, 6, 5: tribuni plebis in cooptandis collegis patrum voluntatem foverunt, id. 3, 65, 1; cf.: res alicujus, id. 24, 36, 9; 26, 36, 6: spem potentioris, id. 40, 5, 5: rex statuerat utram foveret partem, id. 42, 29, 11; cf. id. 5, 3, 9: consilia alicujus, Tac. H. 1, 46: spectator populus hos, rursus illos clamore et plausu fovebat, id. ib. 3, 83: tu mihi gubernacula rei publicae petas fovendis hominum sensibus et deleniendis animis et adhibendis voluptatibus? by pampering, Cic. Mur. 35, 74: partes alicujus, Tac. H. 1, 8; 1, 14: adolescentiam alicujus exhortationibus, Plin. Ep. 1, 14, 1; cf.: ut propria naturae bona doctrina foverent, Quint. 2, 8, 3: ingenia et artes, Suet. Vesp. 18: quam magis in pectore meo foveo, quas meus filius turbas turbet, i. e. dwell upon, think over, Plaut. Bacch. 4, 10, 1: vota animo, Ov. M. 7, 633: spem, Mart. 9, 49, 4: nequiquam eos perditam spem fovere, Liv. 22, 53, 4; cf. Tac. H. 1, 62; Val. Max. 6 praef. § 9; cf. conversely: ut spes vos foveat, may sustain you, Just. Inst. prooem. 7: hoc regnum dea gentibus esse, jam tum tenditque fovetque, cherishes, Verg. A. 1, 18: dum illud tractabam, de quo antea scripsi ad te, quasi fovebam dolores meos (the fig. being taken from the fomenting of diseased parts of the body; v. above, II. A.), Cic. Att. 12, 18, 1: pantomimos fovebat effusius, Plin. Ep. 7, 27, 4.