I.to work carefully, to tend, cultivate.
I. Lit. (very rare, and mostly post-Aug.): “vineas,” Plin. 14, 4, 5, § 48; cf. rura, Claud. ap. Eutr. 2, 196: “victum hominum (boves),” Plin. 8, 47, 72, § 187: “lanas rudes,” i. e. to spin fine, Ov. A. A. 2, 220.—
B. Transf., in gen., to improve, polish, adorn, perfect: “marmora, quibus solum, quibus parietes excolantur,” Plin. Ep. 9, 39, 3; Plin. 35, 10, 37, § 118; cf.: “praetoria xystis et nemoribus,” Suet. Aug. 72: “urbem adeo, ut jure sit gloriatus marmoream se relinquere,” id. ib. 28: “aedificium,” Dig. 7, 1, 44: “fructuarius excolere quod invenit potest, qualitate aedium non immutata,” ib. 7, 1, 13, § 7: “vagos resecare capillos Doctus et hirsutas excoluisse genas,” Mart. 6, 52, 4: “triumphum,” Plin. 35, 11, 40, § 135: “tumulum in tropaei modum,” Flor. 4, 12: “legionarii injecere flammae arma sua, quibus exculti funus celebrabant,” Suet. Caes. 84.—
II. Trop.
A. To improve, ennoble, refine, perfect (the class. signif. of the word): “nihil tam horridum, tam incultum, quod non splendescat oratione et tamquam excolatur, Cic. Parad. prooem. § 3: C. Tuditanus omni vita atque victu excultus atque expolitus,” id. Brut. 25, 95; cf.: “mansuefactus et excultus,” id. Tusc. 1, 25, 62: “ex agresti immanique vita exculti ad humanitatem et mitigati sumus,” id. Leg. 2, 14, 36: “excultus doctrinā,” id. Tusc. 1, 2, 4; cf. id. ib. 4, 38, 84; Ov. Tr. 4, 10, 15: “animos doctrina,” Cic. Arch. 6, 12: “ingenia disciplinā exculta,” id. Or. 15, 48: “aetas exculta,” id. Rep. 2, 10: “quibus rebus exculta hominum vita tantum distat a victu et cultu bestiarum,” id. Off. 2, 4, 15: “inventas aut qui vitam excoluere per artes,” Verg. A. 6, 663: “an victus hominum Atheniensium beneficio excoli potuit, oratio non potuit?” Cic. Or. 9, 31; so, “mores aut studia,” Quint. 4 praef. § 3: “mores studiis,” id. 12, 2, 1; 12, 3, 1; Gell. 13, 5, 2: “orationem,” Quint. 8, 3, 86; Tac. Or. 22: “excultae cujusdam elegantiae,” Quint. 6, 3, 20.—
B. Of persons, to honor (poet., and very rare, for the class. colere): “deos,” Phaedr. 4, 11, 10: “aliquem,” Ov. Pont. 1, 7, 59.
