Lewis & Short

vŏmĭca (o scanned long, Ser. Samm. 40, 743), ae, f. [vomo], a sore, boil, ulcer, imposthume, abscess, encysted tumor.

  1. I. Lit., Cels. 2, 8; 4, 8 fin.; Cic. N. D. 3, 28, 70; Plin. 20, 22, 89, § 244; Lucil. ap. Non. p. 186, 27; Plaut. Pers. 2, 5, 11; Juv. 13, 95.
  2. II. Transf., of stones, a bunch or knob filled with fluid, Plin. 33, 6, 32, § 99; 37, 2, 10, § 28.
  3. III. Trop., an evil, annoyance, grief, plague, curse (very rare. and censured as low by Quint.; v. the foll.): hostis, Romani, si expellere vultis, vomica quae gentium venit longe, Apollini vovendos censeo ludos, qui, etc., an old prophecy ap. Liv. 25, 12, 9; and Macr. S. 1, 17: sunt quaedam et humiles translationes et sordidae: non enim si Cicero recte Sentinam reipublicae dixit, foeditatem hominum significans, idcirco probem illud quoque veteris oratoris, Persecuisti reipublicae vomicas, Quint. 8, 6, 15: (Augustus) Agrippam nepotem et Julias, filiam et neptem, omnibus probris contaminatas appellare solebat tres vomicas aut tria carcinomata sua, Suet. Aug. 65.