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. 5, 3, 60: “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; App. 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.