calco, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [1. calx], to tread something or upon something, to tread under foot.
I In gen.
A Lit. (very freq.; mostly poet. or in post-Aug. prose; not in Cic.) astructos morientum acervos, Ov. M. 5, 88; 12, 391: calcata vipera, trodden upon , id. ib. 10, 23; 12, 391; 13, 804: alius manum aeger, ut pede ac vestigio Caesaris calcaretur, orabat, Tac. H. 4, 81: cineres ossaque legionum, id. ib. 5, 17: calcata lacinia togae, Suet. Calig. 35: uvam, to tread grapes , Cato R. R. 112 fin. ; Varr. R. R. 1, 54, 2; Ov. M. 2, 29; id. F. 4, 897; Col. 6, 15, 1.— To stamp , beat : in mortario, Apic. 2, 3: solum ferratis vectibus, Plin. 36, 23, 52, § 173.—
B Trop.
1 To tread down , to oppress , trample upon (the figure is taken from a victorious warrior who tramples upon his prostrate opponents): amorem, Ov. Am. 3, 11, 5; cf. hostem, Juv. 10, 86: gentem, Just. 12, 16, 11: libertas nostra in foro obteritur et calcatur, Liv. 34, 2, 2: calcatum jus, Claud. in Eutr. 2, 125.—
2 To scorn , contemn , spurn , despise , abuse : insultetque rogis, calcet et ossa mea, Prop. 2, 8, 20: aliquid quasi fastidiendo calcare, Quint. 5, 13, 22: calcatum foedus, Stat. Th. 3, 208.—
II Esp.
A Of objects in space, to tread , pass over : calcanda semel via leti, * Hor. C. 1, 28, 16; Petr. 118, 5: scopulos, litora, Ov. H. 2, 121: durum aequor, the frozen sea , id. Tr. 3, 10, 39: campum, Claud. VI. Cons Hon. 515: calcatos lucos Jovi, frequented by , Sil. 3, 675.—
B Of the cock, to tread , Col. 8, 5, 24.—
C In gen., to press close together , to press in : oleas in orculam calcato, Cato R. R. 117 fin. : tomentum in culcita, Varr. L. L. 5, § 167 Müll.; Cato R. R. 52, 1; 28, 2; Pall. Jan. 20; Plin. 36, 23, 52, § 173; Verg. G. 2, 244.