aedĭfĭco, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [aedes facio], lit. to erect a building, to build; and in gen., to build, raise, erect, or establish any thing.
I Lit.: aedificare cum sit proprie aedem facere, ponitur tamen καταχρηστικῶς in omni genere constructionis, Fest. p. 13 Müll.; hence in the first signif. for the most part
α Absol. : aedificare diu cogitare oportet, Cato R. R. 3, 1: ecce aedificat, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 56: ad quem (usum) accommodanda est aedificandi descriptio, Cic. Off. 1, 39, 138; id. ib. 2, 23, 83: tribus locis aedifico, reliqua reconcinno, id. Q. Fr. 2, 6: lautius, id. Leg. 2, 1, 3: belle, id. Att. 9, 13 al.: accuratius ad frigora atque aestus vitandos, Caes. B. G. 6, 22: diruit, aedificat, mutat quadrata rotundis, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 100; so id. S. 2, 3, 308.—
β With object : domum, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 4; so Vulg. Exod. 1, 21: casas, Hor. S. 2, 3, 247.—
II In gen., to build , construct , etc.: navim, Plaut. Merc. prol. 87 piscinas, Varr. R. R. 3, 17, 5: navem, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 18: urbem, id. ib. 2, 4, 53; so Vulg. Exod. 1, 11: oppida, ib. 2 Para. 26, 6: turrim, ib. Matt. 21, 3: murum, ib. 2 Para. 33, 14: porticum, Cic. Dom. 43: hortos, id. Att. 9, 13: equum, Verg. A. 2, 16: mundum, Cic. Tusc. 1, 25: tot adhuc compagibus altum aedificat caput, i.e. makes it , by bands and hair ornaments , a high tower , Juv. 6, 501.—
III Fig., to build up , establish : rem publicam, Cic. Fam. 9, 2.—And (eccl.) in a religious sense, to build up , instruct , edify.
α Absol. : caritas aedificat, Vulg. 1 Cor. 8, 1: non omnia aedificant, ib. ib. 16, 23.—
β With object : semetipsum, Vulg. 1 Cor. 14, 4: alterutrum, ib. 1 Thess. 5, 11.