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.

in-fĭcĭo, fēci, fectum, 3, v. a. [in-facio], to put or dip into any thing; hence,

  1. I. Lit., to stain, dye, color, tinge with: quia tibi suaso infecisti pallulam, Plaut. Truc. 2, 2, 16: omnes se Britanni vitro inficiunt, Caes. B. G. 5, 14: lana infecta conchylio, Plin. 32, 7, 25, § 77: arma infecta sanguine, Verg. A. 5, 413; cf.: locum sanguine, Tac. H. 2, 55: diem, to discolor, darken, Ov. M. 13, 601: populi sole infecti, nondum exusti, Plin. 6, 19, 22, § 70: palpebrae mulieribus infectae quotidiano, Plin. 11, 37, 56, § 154: vestis ita infecta, id. 28, 7, 23, § 83; cf.: tinguntur sole populi, jam quidem infecti, darkened, tanned, id. 6, 19, 22, § 70: albus ora pallor inficit, covers, Hor. Epod. 7, 15; cf.: virgo inficitur teneras ore rubente genas, Tib. 3, 4, 32.
    1. B. Transf.
      1. 1. To mix with something: pocula veneno, Just. 21, 4: hōc (abl.) amnem inficit, Verg. A. 12, 418.
      2. 2. In partic., in a bad sense, to taint, infect, spoil: pabula tabo, Verg. G. 3, 481; cf.: Gorgoneis Alecto infecta venenis, imbued, id. A. 7, 341: mel infectum fronde, that has a taste of leaves, Plin. 11, 13, 13, § 32.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen.: sapientia nisi alte descendit et diu sedit animum non coloravit sed infecit, has merely tinged, Sen. Ep. 71, 31: si illā (humanorum divinorumque notitiā) se non perfuderit, sed infecerit, id. ib. 110, 8; cf.: (vestes) quarum generosi graminis ipsum Infecit natura pecus, Juv. 12, 41.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. To instruct in any thing (syn. imbuere): jam infici debet (puer) iis artibus, quas si, dum est tener, combiberit, ad majora veniet paratior, Cic. Fin. 3, 2, 9: animos teneros et rudes inficiunt et flectunt, ut volunt, id. Leg. 1, 17 fin.
      2. 2. To spoil, corrupt, infect (syn. corrumpo): nos umbris, deliciis, otio . . . desidia animum infecimus, Cic. Tusc. 5, 27, 78: inficimur opinionum pravitate, id. ib. 3, 2: vereor ne hoc quod infectum est serpat longius, id. Att. 1, 13, 2: cupiditatibus principum et vitiis infici solet tota civitas, id. Leg. 3, 13, 30: elui difficile est; non enim inquinati sumus, sed infecti, Sen. Ep. 59, 9: artibus infectus, Tac. A. 2, 2.
        Poet.: infectum eluitur scelus (= quo se infecerunt), Verg. A. 6, 742 Forbig and Conington ad loc.