I. To sprinkle, moisten, besprinkle, bespatter, strew (very freq. and class.).
A. Lit.
(α).
With acc. and abl.: “fores vino,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 80: “aras multo sanguine,” Lucr. 4, 1233: “terram tabo,” id. 3, 661: “me lacrimis,” Cic. Planc. 41, 99: “carnem sale,” Col. 12, 55, 3: “terram rore,” Plin. 2, 8, 6, § 38: “semen cinere,” id. 20, 1, 2, § 3: “tracta placentae farinae L. II. (i. e. libris duabus),” Cato, R. R. 76, 2 al.—Poet.: “herbas viridantes floribus,” Lucr. 2, 33: “caput Tauri stellis frequentibus,” Cic. N. D. 2, 43, 111.—
(β).
Without abl.: “consperge (humum) ante aedes,” Plaut. Stich. 2, 2, 30; cf.: “humum aestuantem,” Phaedr. 2, 5, 15: “vias propter pulverem,” Suet. Calig. 43 fin.—
B. Trop. of oratorical ornament, to besprinkle or strew, to cover (the image taken from flowers): “(oratio) conspersa sit quasi verborum sententiarumque floribus,” Cic. de Or. 3, 25, 96: “quae quādam hilaritate conspersimus,” id. Ac. 1, 2, 8; * Quint. 8, 5, 28.—
II. To scatter, sprinkle: “vinum vetus,” Col. 12, 39, 3 dub.