I.to stroke; to touch or move lightly (syn. palpo; poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
I. Lit.: “manu mulcens barbam,” Ov. F. 1, 259: “caput,” Quint. 11, 3, 158: “vitulum,” Ov. A. A. 2, 341: “colla,” id. M. 10, 118: “mulcebant Zephyri flores,” rustle through, id. ib. 1, 108: “aura mulcet rosas,” Prop. 4 (5), 7, 60. “virgā mulcere capillos,” to touch lightly, Ov. M. 14, 295: “aristas,” id. F. 5, 161: “mulcere alternos (pueros) et corpora fingere linguā,” Verg. A. 8, 634: “aëra motu,” Lucr. 4, 136: “aethera pennis,” to move, Cic. Arat. 88: mulserat huc navem compulsam fluctibu' pontus, had wafted hither, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 870 P. (Ann. v. 257 Vahl.).—
II. Trop., to soothe, soften, appease, allay; to caress, flatter, delight, etc. (syn.: “blandior. placo, lenio, sedo): mulcentem tigres, of Orpheus,” Verg. G. 4, 510: “aliquem dictis,” id. A. 5, 464: “fluctūs,” id. ib. 1, 66: “iras,” id. ib. 7, 755: “jure,” Vell. 2, 117, 3.—To alleviate, mitigate: “variā vulnera mulcet ope,” alleviates the pain of his wounds, Ov. F. 5, 401: “dolores nervorum,” Plin. 22, 24, 50, § 107: “os stomachumque,” id. 22, 24, 51, § 110: “ebrietatem,” id. 21, 20, 81, § 138: “lassitudinem,” id. 37, 5, 16, § 63: “corpora fessa,” Ov. M. 11, 625: aliquem laudibus, to flatter, Pac. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. Mulciber, p. 144 Müll. (Trag. Rel. p. 109 Rib.): “puellas carmine,” to delight, Hor. C. 3, 11, 24: “animos admiratione,” Quint. 1, 10, 9: “aures figmentis verborum novis,” to delight, Gell. 20, 9, 1.—Hence, mulsus , a, um, P. a.
A. Adj., mixed with honey; sweet as honey, honey-sweet (post-Aug.): “mulsa (sc. aqua),” honey-water, hydromel, Col. 12, 12, 3: “acetum,” vinegar and honey mixed together, honey-vinegar, Cato, R. R. 157, 6: “lac,” Plin. 10, 22, 27, § 52: “mulsa pira,” Col. 5, 10, 18.— Trop., of words, etc., sweet as honey, honeyed (Plautin.): “ut mulsa dicta dicis!” Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 34: “loqui,” id. Poen. 1, 2, 112.—
B. Subst.
1. mulsa , ae, f., a term of endearment, my sweetheart, my honey (Plautin.): “age, mulsa mea,” Plaut. Stich. 5, 5, 14; id. Cas. 2, 6, 20.—
2. mulsum , i, n. (sc. vinum), honey-wine, mead, i. e. wine mixed or made with honey (class.): “commisce mulsum,” Plaut. Pers. 1, 3, 7; id. Bacch. 4, 9, 48: “frigidum,” Cic. de Or. 2, 70, 282: “aceti, for mulsum acetum,” honeyvinegar, Ser. Samm. 49, 714.
