fēcundus (sometimes erroneously foecund-and faecund-, but v. Varr. ap. Gell. 16, 12 fin., and ap. Non. 54, 8), a, um, adj. [from ‡ feo, whence also fetus, femina, fenus, etc., cf. felix], fruitful, fertile (of plants and animals).—Constr. with abl., gen., or absol. (with gen. only poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
I Lit. (class.): fossiones agri repastinationesque, quibus fit multo terra fecundior, Cic. de Sen. 15, 53; cf. Verg. G. 1, 67; Quint. 10, 3, 2: glebae, Lucr. 1, 211: solum, Quint. 2, 19, 2: cf. Just. 2, 1: salices viminibus, frondibus ulmi, Verg. G. 2, 446.—With gen.: regio fecunda fruticis exigui, Col. 9, 4, 2: tellus metallorum, Plin. 33, 4, 21, § 78; for which: Amathus metallis, Ov. M. 10, 220 Bach. N. cr. : mons silvae frequens fecundusque, Tac. A. 4, 65: segetes fecundae et uberes, Cic. Or. 15, 48: nihil ocimo fecundius, Plin. 19, 7, 36, § 120: uxores, Lucr. 4, 1254: conjux, Hor. S. 2, 5, 31: lepus, id. ib. 2, 4, 44; cf.: sue ... nihil genuit natura fecundius, Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 160.—
B Transf.
1 Rich , abundant , abounding in any thing (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose): fecundi calices quem non fecere disertum? Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 19; cf. fons, i. e. copious , Ov. M. 14, 791: legere fecundis collibus herbas, plentifuliy furnished , thickly studded , id. ib. 14, 347: fecundissima gens, rich in agricultural products , Plin. Pan. 31, 6: (specus) Uberibus fecundus aquis, Ov. M. 3, 31; cf.: fecunda melle Calymne, id. ib. 8, 222: viscera (Tityi) poenis, i. e. constantly renewed , Verg. A. 6, 598: Echidna, fecunda poenis viscera trahens, Ambros. in Tob. 12, 41: nigris Meroe fecunda colonis, Luc. 10, 303: cingula monstris, Val. Fl. 6, 470.— With gen.: Aemilium genus fecundum bonorum civium, Tac. A. 6, 27 fin. —
2 Making fruitful , fertilizing (only poet. and in post-Aug. prose): imber, Verg. G. 2, 325; cf. Nilus, Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 54: excipe fecundae patienter verbera dextrae, i. e. the blows with a thong of skin given to women by the luperci, and which were supposed to promote fruitfulness, Ov. F. 2, 427; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 8, 343; and: quam (Danaën) implevit fecundo Juppiter auro, Ov. M. 4, 698.—
II Trop., fruitful , fertile , prolific , abundant (class.): pectus, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 13, 22; Verg. A. 7, 338: artifex, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 71: a quo (Anaxagora) eum (Periclem), cum alia praeclara quaedam et magnifica didicisse, uberem et fecundum fuisse, Cic. Or. 4, 15: duo genera verborum: unum fecundum, quod declinando multas ex se parit dispariles formas, ut est lego, legis, legam, sic alia: alterum genus sterile, quod ex se parit nihil, ut est etiam, vix, cras, etc., Varr. L. L. 8, § 9 Müll.: amor et melle et felle est fecundissimus, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 70: fecunda culpae saecula, Hor. C. 3, 6, 17: veri sacerdos, Sil. 13, 490: fecundum in fraudes hominum genus, id. 2, 498: vester porro labor fecundior, historiarum scriptores? Juv. 7, 98.
VI —Hence, fēcundē , adv., fruitfully , abundantly : fecundius poëmata ferrent fructum, Varr. L. L. 7, § 2 Müll.: arundo recisa fecundius resurgit, Plin. 16, 36, 65, § 163: cantharides nascuntur fecundissime in fraxino, id. 29, 4, 30, § 94.