I.inf. spargier, Hor. C. 4, 11, 8), v. a. Sanscr. root sparç, to touch, sprinkle; M. H. Germ. Sprengen; cf. Gr. σπείρω, to strew, throw here and there, cast, hurl, or throw about, scatter; to bestrew; to sprinkle, spatter, wet; to bespatter, bedew, moisten, etc. (freq. and class.; syn. sero).
I. Lit., in gen.: “semen,” Cic. Rosc. Am. 18, 50: “semina,” id. Div. 1, 3, 6; Quint. 1, 3, 5; 2, 9, 3; Ov. M. 5, 647: “humi, mortalia semina, dentes,” id. ib. 3, 105: “per humum, nova semina, dentes,” id. ib. 4, 573: “vipereos dentes in agros,” id. ib. 7, 122: “nummos populo de Rostris,” Cic. Phil. 3, 6, 16: “venena,” id. Cat. 2, 10, 23: “nuces,” Verg. E. 8, 30: “flores,” id. A. 6, 884; Hor. Ep. 1, 5, 14: “rosas,” id. C. 3, 19, 22: “frondes,” id. ib. 3, 18, 14: hastati spargunt hastas, cast or hurl about, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 287 Vahl.): hastas, id. ap. Macr. 6, 4: “tela,” Verg. A. 12, 51; Ov. M. 12, 600: “harenam pedibus,” Verg. E. 3, 87; id. A. 9, 629 et saep.—Absol.: sagittarius cum funditore utrimque spargunt, hurl, Quadrig. ap. Gell. 9, 1, 1.—
B. Esp., of liquids, to sprinkle, scatter: “umorem passim toto terrarum in orbi,” Lucr. 6, 629: “cruorem,” id. 2, 195: “per totam domum aquas,” Hor. Epod. 5, 26 et saep.—
II. Transf., to bestrew, strew, scatter upon: “spargite humum foliis,” bestrew, strew, Verg. E. 5, 40; so, “virgulta fimo pingui,” id. G. 2, 347: “molā caput salsā,” Hor. S. 2, 3, 200: “gruem sale multo,” id. ib. 2, 8, 87: “(jus) croco,” id. ib. 2, 4, 68: “umerum capillis,” id. C. 3, 20, 14: “tempora canis,” Ov. M. 8, 567 al.—
2. To besprinkle, sprinkle, moisten, wet, etc.: saxa spargens tabo, sanie et sanguine atro, sprinkling, wetting, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 44, 107; id. Pis. 19, 43 (Trag. v. 414 Vahl.): “aras sanguine multo quadrupedum,” Lucr. 5, 1202: “aram immolato agno,” Hor. C. 4, 11, 8: “ora genasque lacrimis,” Lucr. 2, 977: “debitā lacrimā favillam amici,” Hor. C. 2, 6, 23: “corpus fluviali lymphā,” Verg. A. 4, 635: “proximos umore oris,” Quint. 11, 3, 56 et saep.: “anguis aureis maculis sparsus,” sprinkled over, spotted, flecked, Liv. 41, 21, 13: “sparsā, non convolutā canitie,” Plin. 36, 7, 11, § 55: “capreoli sparsis etiam nunc pellibus albo,” Verg. E. 2, 41: “tectum nitidius, aure aut coloribus sparsum,” covered over, Sen. Ben. 4, 6, 2; cf.: “priscis sparsa tabellis Livia Porticus,” Ov. A. A. 1, 71: sparso ore, adunco naso, with a spotty or freckled face, * Ter. Heaut. 5, 5, 18.—Absol.: exi, Dave, Age, sparge: mundum esse hoc vestibulum volo, sprinkle, * Plaut. Fragm. ap. Gell. 18, 12, 4: verrite aedes, spargite, Titin. ap. Charis. p. 183 P. (Com. Rel. p. 130 Rib.): “qui verrunt, qui spargunt,” Cic. Par. 5, 2, 37.—
B. To scatter, separate, disperse, divide, spread out (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose for the class. dispergere, dissipare): “omnibus a rebus ... Perpetuo fluere ac mitti spargique necesse est Corpora,” Lucr. 6, 922: “res sparsas et vage disjectas diligenter eligere,” Auct. Her. 4, 2, 3: “(aper) spargit canes,” Ov. M. 8, 343: “corpora,” id. ib. 7, 442: “sparsus silebo,” Sen. Herc. Oet. 1394: “sparsam tempestate classem vidit,” Liv. 37, 13: “sparsi per vias speculatores,” id. 9, 23: “exercitum spargi per provincias,” Tac. H. 3, 46 fin.: “(natura) sparsit haec (cornua) in ramos,” Plin. 11, 37, 45, § 123: “fulgentes radios in orbem (gemma),” id. 37, 10, 67, § 181: “(Sicoris) Spargitur in sulcos,” Luc. 4, 142: “spargas tua prodigus,” you dissipate, squander, waste, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 195: stare et spargere sese hastis, scatter, disperse, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 154 Vahl.): “se in fugam passim spargere, Liv 33, 15, 15: saepe solet scintilla suos se spargere in ignes (shortly before, dissilire and dividi),” Lucr. 4, 606: “Rhenus ab septentrione in lacus, ab occidente in amnem Mosam se spargit,” Plin. 4, 15, 29, § 101: “magnum ab Argis Alciden,” to separate, part, Val. Fl. 5, 488: “sparsis consumptisque fratribus bello intestinae discordiae,” Just. 27, 3, 1.—
III. Trop.
A. In gen., to distribute, spread abroad, spread, extend: “animos in corpora humana,” Cic. Sen. 21, 77: “omnia spargere ac disseminare,” id. Arch. 12, 30: “sparserat Argolicas nomen vaga Fama per urbes Theseos,” Ov. M. 8, 267: “genera enim tractamus in species multas sese spargentia,” Plin. 21, 8, 22, § 45: “spargit legiones, nova cottidie bello semina ministrat,” Tac. H. 2, 76: “vestigia fugae,” Curt. 5, 13, 18.—
B. In partic.
1. Of speech, to intersperse, interpose, insert a word or words; of a report or rumor, to spread or noise abroad, to circulate, report (so perh. not ante-Aug.; “syn. dissemino): cum vigilans Quartae esto partis Ulixes Audieris heres: Ergo nunc Dama sodalis Nusquam est? etc.... Sparge subinde,” break in with, Hor. S. 2, 5, 103; cf.“' libris actorum spargere gaudes Argumenta viri,” Juv. 9, 84; Quint. 8, 3, 53: “spargere voces In vulgum ambiguas,” Verg. A. 2, 98: “suspitiones,” Quint. 7, 2, 12: “in parentes crimina,” id. 9, 2, 80: “fama spargitur,” Stat. Th. 9, 33.—Pass. impers., with obj.-clause: “spargebatur insuper, Albinum insigne regis et Jubae nomen usurpare,” Tac. H. 2, 58 fin. —
2. Pregn., of time: “satis multum temporis sparsimus,” wasted, consumed aimlessly, Sen. Ep. 19, 1.—Hence, sparsus , a, um, P. a., spread open or out: “sparsior racemus,” Plin. 16, 34, 62, § 146: uberior Nilo, generoso sparsior istro, Ven. Vit. S. Mart. 1, 129.
