Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

fōmes, ĭtis, m. [foveo], kindling-wood, touch-wood, tinder.

  1. I. Lit.: silici scintillam excudit Achates . . . rapuitque in fomite flammam, Verg. A. 1, 176; Luc. 8, 776; Plin. 16, 40, 77, § 208.
    1. B. Trop. (postclass.): fomes et incitabulum ingenii virtutisque, Gell. 15, 2, 3: peccati, Prud. Apoth. 942: invidiae, Vulg. Gen. 37, 8.
  2. II. Transf.: fomites sunt assulae ex arboribus, dum caeduntur, excussae: dictae, quod in eo opere occupati cibis potuque confoventur, etc., Paul. ex Fest. p. 85 Müll.; cf.: Fomes πελέκημα, Gloss. Labb.