cingo, xi, nctum, 3, v. a. [cf. Gr κυλλός, κυρτός; Lat. curvus, and clingo, Curt. Griech. Etym. p. 545 sq.], to go round in a circle, to surround, encompass, environ, gird, wreathe, crown, etc. (class. in prose and poetry).
I Prop
A In gen.: quid autem interius mente? Cingatur igitur corpore externo, i. e. it must be enclosed in a body , Cic. N. D. 1, 11, 27: non enim coronā consessus vester cinctus est, ut solebat, id. Mil. 1, 1; cf.: judicium insolitā trepidum cinxere coronă, Luc. 1, 321; tris (navīs) Eurus... Inlidit vadis atque aggere cingit harenae, Verg. A. 1, 112: cincta serpentibus Hydra, id. ib. 7, 658: pennae ritu coepere volucrum Cingere utrumque latus, to cover , Ov. M. 6, 718, apio fasces et secto cingere porro, Col. 10, 371.—
B Esp.
1 To surround the body with a girdle , to gird on (the sword), to gird; esp. freq in pass. with abl., to be girded , encircled with something . iam quasi zonā, liene cinctus ambulo, Plaut. Curc. 2, 1, 5; Curt. 3, 3, 19; cf.: cui lati clavi jus erit, ita cingatur, ut, etc., Quint. 11, 3, 138: ut cingeretur fluxiore cincturā, Suet. Caes. 45: Hispano cingitur gladio, Liv. 7, 10, 5; 38, 21, 13; Suet. Calig. 49: ferro, id. Aug. 35: ense, Ov. F. 2, 13: cingor fulgentibus armis, Verg. A. 2, 749; Verg. 11, 188, 11, 536; his cingi telis, id. ib. 2, 520: ense latus cingit, Ov. F. 2, 784; cf. Stat. Th. 4, 41: cinctas resolvite vestes, Ov. M. 1, 382. filios balteis, Vulg. Lev 8, 13.—Poet., in pass with acc. (cf. accingor, II., and Zumpt, Gr § 458): inutile ferrum Cingitur, Verg. A. 2, 511: cinctaeque ad pectora vestes Bracchia docta movent, Ov. M. 6, 59.—Without case: Syrinx, Ov. M. 1, 695; puer alte cinctus, Hor. S. 2, 8, 10.—Hence, in late Lat. cinctus = armis instructus, armatus, armed , equipped , enrolled : cinctus in aliā militiā, Dig. 39, 1, 38; cf. ib. 39, 1, 25.—As a girding up of the Roman dress was necessary in pursuits requiring physical action, hence, cingor (cf accingor), to make one’s self ready for any thing , to prepare : cingitur, certe expedit se, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 152; cingitur ipse furens certatim in proelia Turnus, Verg. A. 11, 486; cf. supra, Quint. 11, 3, 138; Hor. S. 2, 8, 10; Ov. M. 6, 59.—
2 To encircle with a garland or crown , to crown (freq., esp in the poets).
a Of the head: muralique caput summum cinxere coronā, Lucr. 2, 607; cf. Ov. A. A. 3, 392 tempora floribus, Hor. C. 3, 25, 20; Verg. A. 5, 71: spicis, Tib. 2, 1, 4 et saep.: comam lauro, Hor. C. 3, 30, 16; cf.: Graias barbara vitta comas, Ov. Tr. 4, 4, 78; Verg. A. 12, 163: de tenero cingite flore caput, Ov. F. 3, 254.—Poet.: Atlantis, cinctum assidue cui nubibus atris Piniferum caput et vento pulsatur et imbri, Verg. A. 4, 248; 7, 658; Prop. 4 (5), 1, 61.—
b To encircle other parts of the body : cujus lacertos anuli mei cingant, Mart. 11, 100, 2.—
3 Of places, to surround , encircle , invest , enclose (the prevailing signif. in prose, esp. in the histt.; syn.: circumdo, claudo): (Tellus) oras maris undique cingens, Lucr. 6, 633; Cat. 64, 185; 64, 286: flumen Dubis paene totum oppidum cingit, Caes. B. G. 1, 38 provincia mari cincta, Cic. Fl. 12, 27: urbe portus ipse cingitur et continetur, id. Verr. 2, 5, 37, § 96 Zumpt: quod moenibus cingebatur, Tac. A. 13, 41: quae (terra) magnā ex parte cingitur fluctibus, speciem insulae praebet, etc., Curt. 3, 1, 13; 8, 10, 23; Ov. A. A. 2, 469: cingitur insula tribus millibus passuum, i.e. has a circuit of , etc., Plin. 6, 12, 13, § 32.—Poet.: cinxerunt aethera nimbi, covered , Verg. A. 5, 13: medium diem cinxere tenebrae, Sen. Herc. Fur. 939.—Trop.; diligentius urbem religione quam ipsis moenibus cingitis, fortify , Cic. N. D. 3, 40, 94.—
4 In milit. lang., to surround a place or army for defence or in a hostile manner , to fortify , to invest , be set , besiege : coronā militum cincta urbs, Liv. 7, 27, 7: castra vallo, id. 7, 39, 8; equites cornua cinxere, covered , id. 23, 29, 3: ultimum agmen validā manu, to cover , Curt. 4, 13, 30: urbem obsidione, to besiege , Verg. A. 3, 52; dextera cingitur amni, id. ib. 9, 469: (hostem) stationibus in modum obsidii, Tac. A. 6, 34: cingi ab armis hostium, Ov. P. 2, 8, 69; Tib. 2, 3, 37, Prop. 3 (4), 3, 42.—Trop.: Sicilia multis undique cincta periculis. Cic. Imp. Pomp. 11, 30.—
5 To escort , to accompany inermi item regi praetor Achaeorum et unus ex purpuratis latus cingebant, Liv. 32, 39, 8: dum latus sancti cingit tibi turba senatus, Ov. P. 4, 9, 17: nec noscitur ulli, Agminibus comitum qui mode cinctus erat, id. Tr. 1, 5, 30: cincta virgo matrum catervā, id. M. 12, 216, Vell. 2, 14, 1; Tac. A. 1, 77; Sil. 4, 448, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 322—
C To peel off the bark around : cingere est deglabrare, Dig. 47, 7, 6 Pr, cf. Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 234 sqq.