fetus

1.

fētus ( foet- ), a, um, adj. [Part., from ‡ FEO, whence also: fecundus, femina, fenus, felix], that is or was filled with young (syn.: gravidus, praegnans).

I.

Pregnant, breeding (mostly poet. ).

A.

Lit.:

lenta salix feto pecori,

Verg. E. 3, 83; 1, 50:

vulpes,

Hor. C. 3, 27, 5.—

2.

Transf.

a.

Of land, fruitful, productive:

(terra) feta parit nitidas fruges, etc.,

Lucr. 2, 994; cf.: terra feta frugibus et vario leguminum genere, * Cic. N. D. 2, 62, 156:

loca palustribus ulvis,

Ov. M. 14, 103:

regio nec pomo nec uvis,

id. P. 1, 7, 13; id. F. 1, 662.—Also of plants:

palmites,

Col. 3, 21, 3.—

b.

In gen., filled with any thing, full:

machina armis,

Verg. A. 2, 238:

loca furentibus austris,

id. ib. 1, 51:

colla serpentis veneno,

Sil. 17, 448.—

B.

Trop., full of. —With abl.:

feta furore Megaera,

Sil. 13, 592:

praecordia bello,

id. 17, 380:

praecordia irā,

id. 11, 203. —With gen.:

fetas novales Martis,

Claud. Bell. Get. 25;

and in a Gr. construction: fetus Gradivo mentem,

id. 10, 14.—

II.

That has brought forth, newly delivered: veniebant fetam amicae gratulatum, Varr. ap. Non. 312, 12:

agiles et fetae (opp. tardiores et gravidae),

Col. 7, 3 fin.:

ursa,

Ov. M. 13, 803:

lupa,

Verg. A. 8, 630:

ovis,

id. E. 1, 50; Ov. F. 2, 413:

qua feta jacebat uxor et infantes ludebant,

Juv. 14, 167.— Absol.:

insueta gravis temptabunt pabula fetas,

Verg. E. 1, 49.

2.

fētus ( foet- ), ūs ( heteroclit. abl. plur.: fetis, Att. ap. Non. 489, 6, v. in the foll.), m. [‡ feo, v. the preced. art.]..

I.

Abstr., a bringing forth, bearing, dropping, hatching of young (rare but class.):

pater (Juppiter) curavit, uno ut fetu fieret,

at one birth, Plaut. Am. 1, 2, 25:

quarum (bestiarum) in fetu et in educatione laborem cum cernimus,

Cic. Fin. 3, 19, 63:

cornix inauspicatissima fetus tempore,

Plin. 10, 12, 14, § 30:

secundi fetus pecudes signari oportet,

Col. 11, 2, 38.—

B.

Transf., of plants, a bearing, producing:

quae frugibus atque bacis terrae fetu profunduntur,

Cic. Leg. 1, 8, 25:

periti rerum adseverant, non ferre (Arabiam) tantum annuo fetu (casiae), quantum, etc.,

Plin. 12, 18, 41, § 83. —

II.

Concr., young, offspring, progeny, brood (the predom. signif. of the word, in sing. and plur.; esp. freq. in poets; cf.:

catulus, pullus, hinnus, hinnuleus): quae (bestiae) multiplices fetus procreant, ut sues, ut canes, his mammarum data est multitudo,

Cic. N. D. 2, 51, 128:

facile illa (piscium ova) aqua et sustinentur et fetum fundunt,

id. ib.:

fetus ventri exsecti,

Plin. 8, 55, 81, § 217:

cervae lactens fetus,

a fawn, Ov. M. 6, 637:

melliferarum apium,

id. ib. 15, 382:

ex die emptionis, et fetus pecorum et ancillarum partus ad emptorem pertinent,

Paul. Sent. 2, 17, 7:

quis (paveat), Germania quos horrida parturit Fetus?

the German brood, Hor. C. 4, 5, 27.—So very rarely of human beings:

si vitium factum esset, ut (mulier) concipere fetus non posset,

Gell. 4, 2, 10.—

2.

Transf., of plants, fruit, produce:

ager novatus et iteratus, quo meliores fetus possit et grandiores edere,

Cic. de Or. 2, 30, 131; cf.:

nutriant fetus et aquae salubres Et Jovis aurae,

Hor. Carm. Sec. 31:

(arbores) crescunt ipsae fetuque gravantur,

Lucr. 1, 253; cf. id. 1, 351: Cithaeron frondet viridantibus fetis, Att. ap. Non. 489, 6:

arborei,

Verg. G. 1, 55:

mutatis requiescunt fetibus arva,

id. ib. 1, 82;

4, 231: silvae dant alios aliae fetus,

id. ib. 2, 442:

triticei,

Ov. F. 1, 693: gravidi ( of grapes ), id. M. 8, 294:

nucis, i. e. surculus, auricomi,

the golden-bough, id. Am. 6, 141; Verg. G. 2, 69:

omnis fetus repressus exustusque flos,

Cic. Brut. 4, 16.—Of veins of metals:

atros fetus chalybis,

Sil. 1, 230.—

B.

Trop.:

nec ulla aetate uberior oratorum fetus fuit,

progeny, growth, Cic. Brut. 49, 182:

animi,

production, id. Tusc. 5, 24, 68:

dulces Musarum expromere fetus,

Cat. 65, 3.