1. fēcundus — Lewis & Short
fēcundus (sometimes erroneously foecund-and faecund-, but v. Varr. ap. a, um, adj.from † feo, whence also fetus, femina, fenus, etc., cf. felix,
Gell. 16, 12 fin., and ap. Non. 54, 8),I fruitful, fertile (of plants and animals).—Constr. with abl., gen., or absol. (with gen. only poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
I Lit. (class.):
fossiones agri repastinationesque, quibus fit multo terra fecundior,Cic. de Sen. 15, 53; cf. Verg. G. 1, 67; Quint. 10, 3, 2:
glebae,Lucr. 1, 211:
solum,Quint. 2, 19, 2: cf. Just. 2, 1:
salices viminibus, frondibus ulmi,Verg. G. 2, 446.—With gen.:
regio fecunda fruticis exigui,Col. 9, 4, 2:
tellus metallorum,Plin. 33, 4, 21, § 78;
for which: Amathus metallis,Ov. M. 10, 220 Bach. N. cr.:
mons silvae frequens fecundusque,Tac. A. 4, 65:
segetes fecundae et uberes,id. Or. 15, 48:
nihil ocimo fecundius,Plin. 19, 7, 36, § 120:
uxores,Lucr. 4, 1254:
conjux,Hor. S. 2, 5, 31:
lepus,id. ib. 2, 4, 44; cf.:
sue ... nihil genuit natura fecundius,Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 160.—
B Transf.
1 Rich, abundant, abounding in any thing (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose):
fecundi calices quem non fecere disertum?Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 19; cf.
fons,i. e. copious, Ov. M. 14, 791:
legere fecundis collibus herbas,plentifuliy furnished, thickly studded, id. ib. 14, 347:
fecundissima gens,rich in agricultural products, Plin. Pan. 31, 6:
(specus) Uberibus fecundus aquis,Ov. M. 3, 31; cf.:
fecunda melle Calymne,id. ib. 8, 222:
viscera (Tityi) poenis,i. e. constantly renewed, Verg. A. 6, 598:
Echidna, fecunda poenis viscera trahens,Ambros. in Tob. 12, 41:
nigris Meroe fecunda colonis,Luc. 10, 303:
cingula monstris,Val. Fl. 6, 470.— With gen.:
Aemilium genus fecundum bonorum civium,Tac. A. 6, 27 fin.—
2 Making fruitful, fertilizing (only poet. and in post-Aug. prose):
imber,Verg. G. 2, 325; cf.
Nilus,Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 54:
excipe fecundae patienter verbera dextrae, i. e. the blows with a thong of skin given to women by the luperci, and which were supposed to promote fruitfulness,Ov. F. 2, 427; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 8, 343; and:
quam (Danaën) implevit fecundo Juppiter auro,Ov. M. 4, 698.—
II Trop., fruitful, fertile, prolific, abundant (class.): pectus, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 13, 22; Verg. A. 7, 338:
artifex,Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 71:
a quo (Anaxagora) eum (Periclem), cum alia praeclara quaedam et magnifica didicisse, uberem et fecundum fuisse,Cic. Or. 4, 15:
duo genera verborum: unum fecundum, quod declinando multas ex se parit dispariles formas, ut est lego, legis, legam, sic alia: alterum genus sterile, quod ex se parit nihil, ut est etiam, vix, cras, etc.,Varr. L. L. 8, § 9 Müll.:
amor et melle et felle est fecundissimus,Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 70:
fecunda culpae saecula,Hor. C. 3, 6, 17:
veri sacerdos,Sil. 13, 490:
fecundum in fraudes hominum genus,id. 2, 498:
vester porro labor fecundior, historiarum scriptores?Juv. 7, 98.—Hence, fēcundē, adv., fruitfully, abundantly:
fecundius poëmata ferrent fructum,Varr. L. L. 7, § 2 Müll.:
arundo recisa fecundius resurgit,Plin. 16, 36, 65, § 163:
cantharides nascuntur fecundissime in fraxino,id. 29, 4, 30, § 94.