I.a small pit, esp. for taking wild beasts, a pit fall (syn.: scrobs, specus: fossa, etc.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “(humor) ut in foveam fluat,” Lucr. 2, 475: “(cadavera) Donec humo tegere ac foveis abscondere discunt,” Verg. G. 3, 558.—Transf.: “genitales feminae,” i. e. the womb, Tert. Anim. 19.—
B. In partic., a pitfall, pit (class.): “tetra belua, quae quoniam in foveam incidit, etc.,” Cic. Phil. 4, 5, 12; Lucr. 5, 1250; Hor. Ep. 1, 16, 50; id. A. P. 459: “anates in foveas delapsae,” Plin. 10, 38, 54, § 112.—
II. Trop., a snare (Plautin.): “ita decipiemus fovea leonem Lycum,” Plaut. Poen. 1, 1, 59; id. Pers. 4, 4, 45; cf.: “ex iisdem foveis emergentes,” conspiracy, Amm. 14, 9, 1,