fŏcus, i, m. [root bha-, to be bright, Gr. φα- (cf. for, fari), strengthened, fac-, fax, facies, etc., Corss. Ausspr. 1, 423, who refers even facio to this root].
I A fire-place , hearth (syn.: clibanus, furnus, fornax, caminus): Varro focos ait dictos, quod foveat ignes, nam ignis ipsa flamma est: quicquid autem ignem fovet, focus vocatur, seu ara sit seu quid aliud, in quo ignis fovetur, Varr. ap. Isid. Orig. 20, 10, 1: at focus a flammis, et quod fovet omnia, dictus, Ov. F. 6, 301; Paul. ex Fest. p. 85 Müll.; Serv. Verg. A. 12, 118; Plaut. Aul. prol. 7; Plin. 19, 1, 4, § 19: dum meus assiduo luceat igne focus, Tib. 1, 1, 6: jam dudum splendet focus, Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 7: ligna super foco Large reponens, id. C. 1, 9, 5: Curio ad focum sedenti magnum auri pondus Samnites, cum attulissent, Cic. de Sen. 16, 55; cf. id. Fragm. ap. Non. 522, 28 (Rep. 3, 28 ed. Mos.); 68, 17: ad focum angues nundinari solent, Cic. Div. 2, 31, 66: exstruere lignis focum, to pile on wood , Hor. Epod. 2, 43.— Poet. of a funeral-pile , Verg. A. 11, 212; of an altar , Prop. 2, 19 (3, 12), 14; 4, 5, 64 (5, 5, 66 M.); Tib. 1, 2, 82; Ov. M. 4, 753 al.—On the hearths of Roman houses were placed, in little niches, the household gods (Lares), and for them a fire was kept up: haec imponentur in foco nostro Lari, Plaut. Aul. 2, 8, 16; cf.: focus Larium, quo familia convenit, Plin. 28, 20, 81, § 267.—Hence,
B Transf.: focus, like our hearth , serves to denote the house or family : domi focique fac vicissim ut memineris, Ter. Eun. 815; cf.: nudum ejicit domo atque focis patriis disque penatibus praecipitem Sextum exturbat, Cic. Rosc. Am. 8, 23: agellus, quem tu fastidis, habitatum quinque focis, by five houses , families , Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 2.—Esp. freq.: arae et foci, pro aris et focis pugnare, to signify one's dearest possessions; v. ara. —
II A fire-pan , coal-pan , brazier : panem in foco caldo sub testu coquito leniter, Cato R. R. 75; 76, 2; Sen. Ep. 78 fin.