fūmus, i, m. [Sanscr. dhū, dhumas, smoke; Zend. dun-man, vapor; Gr. θύω, to rage, sacrifice, θυμός, θῦμα, θύος, etc.; Goth. dauns, odor; Engl. dust; cf.: fūnus, fuligo],
I smoke , steam , fume : in lignis si flamma latet fumusque cinisque, Lucr. 1, 871; cf. 1, 891; 4, 56: ibi hominem ingenuum fumo excruciatum, semivivum reliquit, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 17, § 45: castra, ut fumo atque ignibus significabatur, amplius milibus pass. VIII. in latitudinem patebant, Caes. B. G. 2, 7 fin. : tum fumi incendiorum procul videbantur, id. ib. 5, 48 fin. : significatione per castella fumo facta, id. B. C. 3, 65, 3: ater ad sidera fumus erigitur, Verg. A. 9, 239: pernas in fumo suspendito, Cato R. R. 162, 3: fumo inveteratum vinum, Plin. 23, 1. 22, § 40; cf. Hor. C. 3, 8, 11; Col. 1, 6, 19 sq.; v. fumarium; hence, poet. transf.: fumi Massiliae, Marseilles wine mellowed in the smoke , Mart. 14, 118: in illo ganearum tuarum nidore atque fumo, Cic. Pis. 6, 13; cf.: intervenerant quidam amici, propter quos major fumus fieret, etc., Sen. Ep. 64, and Ter. Ad. 846: non fumum ex fulgore, sed ex fumo dare lucem Cogitat, Hor. A. P. 143.—In double sense: Ph. Oculi dolent. Ad. Quor? Ph. Quia fumus molestus est, smoke , i. e. foolish talk , Plaut. Most. 4, 2, 10. —
b Prov.
α Semper flamma fumo est proxima: Fumo comburi nihil potest, flamma potest, i. e. the slightest approach to wrong-doing leads to vice , Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 53.—
β Tendere de fumo, ut proverbium loquitur vetus, ad flammam, to jump out of the frying-pan into the fire , Amm. 14, 11, 12; cf.: de fumo, ut aiunt, in flammam, id. 28, 1, 26.—
γ Fumum or fumos vendere, i. e. to make empty promises , Lampr. Alex. Sev. 36; Mart. 4, 5, 7; Ap. Mag. p. 313, 31.—For which also: per fumum or fumis vendere aliquid, Capitol. Anton. 11; Lampr. Heliog. 10.—
II Trop., like our word smoke , as a figure of destruction : ubi omne Verterat in fumum et cinerem, had reduced to smoke and ashes , i. e. had consumed , squandered , Hor. Ep. 1, 15, 39.