bellĭcus (duellĭcus), a, um, adj. [bellum], of or pertaining to war, war-, military.
I In gen.
A Lit.: ars duellica, Plaut. Ep. 3, 4, 14: bellicam rem administrari majores nostri nisi auspicato noluerunt, Cic. Div. 2, 36, 76; Hor. C. 4, 3, 6; Suet. Calig. 43: disciplina, Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 161: jus, id. Off. 3, 29, 107: virtus, id. Mur. 10, 22: laus, military glory , id. Brut. 21, 84; Caes. B. G. 6, 24: laudes, Cic. Off. 1, 22, 78: gloria, Tac. A. 1, 52: caerimoniae, Liv. 1, 32, 5: certamina, Flor. 4, 12, 58: ignis, proceeding from the enemy , Liv. 30, 5, 8: tubicen, Ov. M. 3, 705: rostra, Tib. 2, 3, 40: navis, Prop. 2 (3), 15, 43: turba, id. 3 (4), 14, 13: parma, id. 2 (3), 25, 8: nomina, appellatives obtained by valorous deeds in war (as Africanus, Asiaticus, Macedonicus, etc.), Flor. 3, 8, 1: nubes, the misfortune of war , Claud. Laus. Seren. 196: columella. Fest. p. 27; cf. Bellona.— Hence, subst.: bellĭcum , i, n., a signal for march or for the beginning of an attack (given by the trumpet); always in the connection bellicum canere, to give the signal for breaking up camp , for an attack , for commencing hostilities : Philippum, ubi primum bellicum cani audisset, arma capturum, at the first signal will be ready to take arms , etc., Liv. 35, 18, 6: simul atque aliqui motus novus bellicum canere coepit, causes the war-trumpet to sound , Cic. Mur. 14, 30; Just. 12, 15, 11; App de Mundo, p. 71, 37.—
B Trop.: idem bellicum me cecinisse dicunt. aroused , incited , Cic. Phil. 7, 1, 3.—And of fiery, inflammatory discourse: alter (Thucydides) incitatior fertur et de bellicis rebus canit etiam quodammodo bellicum, sounds the alarm , Cic. Or. 12, 39: non eosdem modos adhibent, cum bellicum est canendum, et cum posito genu supplicandum est, Quint. 9, 4, 11; 10, 1, 33. —
II Transf., poet., = bellicosus, warlike , fierce in war : Pallas, Ov. M. 5, 46: dea, id. ib. 2, 752; id. F. 3, 814: virgo, id. M. 4, 754: Mars, id. F. 3, 1: deus, i.e. Romulus , id. ib. 2, 478: civitas, devoted to war , Vell. 2, 38, 3.—Of animals: equorum duellica proles, * Lucr. 2, 661.