Lewis & Short

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imbŭo (inb-), ŭi, ūtum, 3, v. a. [in- and root biv-; cf. bibo, and Gr. πίνω], to wet, moisten, dip, tinge, touch, etc. (class.; cf.: inficio, infusco).

  1. I. Lit.: liquoribus lanam, Col. 9, 14, 15: tapetes, quos concha purpura imbuens venenavit, Cn. Matius ap. Gell. 20, 9, 3: cados amurca, Plin. 15, 8, 8, § 33: guttura lacte, Ov. Ib. 131: imbuti sanguine gladii legionum vel madefacti potius, wet, or rather dripping with blood, Cic. Phil. 14, 3, 6: sanguis novus imbuit arma, Verg. A. 7, 554: sanguine manus, Vell. 2, 20, 1: vestis imbuta sanguine, Ov. M. 9, 153: munus tabo imbutum, Hor. Epod. 5, 65: tela imbuta veneno, Ov. Tr. 4, 1, 77: oscula, quae Venus Quinta parte sui nectaris imbuit, Hor. C. 1, 13, 16: odore imbuta Testa, id. Ep. 1, 2, 69.
    With Gr. acc.: alium quae sunt inbuta colorem, Lucr. 2, 734 Munro.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to fill, tinge, stain, taint, infect, imbue, imbrue with any thing (esp. freq. in part. perf.): morte manus, Att. ap. Non. 521, 8; cf.: gladium scelere, Cic. Phil. 5, 7, 20: talibus promissis aures militum, Curt. 4, 10, 17: militum sanguine manus, id. 3, 8, 5.
          1. (β) In part. perf.: aliqua humanitate imbuti, Varr. R. R. 1, 17, 4; cf.: religione imbuti, Cic. Div. 1, 42, 93: imbutus admiratione, Liv. 21, 39, 7: legiones favore Othonis, Tac. H. 2, 85: miles longo Caesarum sacramento, id. ib. 1, 5: imbuti et infecti Romanis delenimentis, Liv. 40, 11, 3: imbutus alicujus consiliis, id. 42, 26, 8: hac ille crudelitate imbutus, Cic. Phil. 3, 3, 4: superstitione, id. Fin. 1, 18, 60: sociale bellum macula sceleris imbutum, id. Font. 14, 31: colonorum caede imbutis armis, Liv. 4, 31, 7: imbutae caede manus, Ov. A. A. 2, 714: imbutae praeda manus, Tac. A. 1, 36.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To inspire or impress early, to accustom, inure, initiate, instruct, imbue: his ego de artibus gratiam facio, ne colas, ne inbuas eis tuom ingenium, Plaut. Trin. 2, 2, 17: quibus ille studiis ab ineunte aetate se imbuerat, Cic. Deiot. 10, 28; cf.: animum tenerum opinionibus, id. Att. 14, 13, B, 4: variis erroribus, id. Tusc. 3, 1, 2: adulescentuli castrensibus stipendiis imbuebantur, Plin. Ep. 8, 14, 5: liberaliter educatos servilibus vitiis imbuisse, Liv. 26, 2, 11: nemo est tam immanis, cujus mentem non imbuerit deorum opinio, Cic. Tusc. 1, 13, 30; cf.: ea pietate omnium pectora imbuerat, ut, etc., Liv. 1, 21, 1: inter novitatem successoris, quae noscendis prius quam agendis rebus inbuenda sit, id. 41, 15, 8: imbuendis sociis ad officia legum, Tac. A. 12, 32: nec quicquam prius imbuuntur quam contemnere deos, id. H. 5, 5: qui honestis sermonibus aures imperatoris imbuant, id. ib. 4, 7; id. Or. 29; 31: optume cum domito juvencus imbuitur, is trained to labor, Plin. 8, 45, 70, § 180.
      2. 2. To do any thing for the first time, explore, essay, set the example (poet.): illa rudem cursu prima imbuit Amphitriten, was the first to navigate, Cat. 64, 11: terras vomere, to plough first, Ov. Tr. 3, 11, 52; Val. Fl. 1, 69: phialam nectare, to fill first, Mart. 8, 51, 17: bellum sanguine, to initiate, i. e. to begin, Verg. A. 7, 542; cf. ib. 554: juvenem primo Hymenaeo (conjux), Sil. 3, 65: imbuis exemplum primae tu, Romule, palmae, begin, set the example, Prop. 4 (5), 10, 5: opus, Ov. A. A. 1, 654.
      3. 3. Esp. in part. perf., somewhat instructed, imbued, initiated, trained: nos ita a majoribus instituti atque imbuti sumus, ut. etc., Cic. Phil. 10, 10, 20; cf.: et doctrina liberaliter institutus et aliquo jam imbutus usu, id. de Or. 2, 39, 162: parentum praeceptis imbuti, id. Off. 1, 32, 118: imbutus rudimentis militiae, Vell. 2, 129, 2; cf.: imbutum jam a juventa certaminibus plebeiis, Liv. 5, 2, 13: cognitiones verborum, quibus imbuti sumus, Cic. Fin. 2, 5, 16: dialecticis imbutus, id. Tusc. 1, 7, 14; cf.: litteris saltem leviter imbutus, Quint. 1, 2, 16: quasi non perfectum litteris sed imbutum, Suet. Gramm. 4: (verna) Litterulis Graecis imbutus, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 7: ad quam (legem) non docti, sed facti, non instituti, sed imbuti sumus, Cic. Mil. 4, 10; so opp. instructus: elementis studiorum etsi non instructus, at certe imbutus, Tac. Or. 19.
        Poet.: aurea pavonum ridenti imbuta lepore saecla, endued, Lucr. 2, 502 Munro (dub.; v. Lachm. Lucr. 2, p. 102).