I.to pour below or underneath; to pour into or among; to pour over or upon; to overspread, suffuse (mostly ante-class. and postAug.).
I. Lit.
A. In gen.: “animum esse cordi suffusum sanguinem,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 9, 19: “aqua suffunditur,” flows underneath, diffuses itself, Sen. Q. N. 3, 26, 1 (al. adfunditur): “intumuit suffusā venter ab undā,” i. e. from dropsy, Ov. F. 1, 215: “mane suffundam aquolam,” Plaut. Curc. 1, 3, 3: “mare (i. e. aquam marinam) vinis,” id. Rud. 2, 7, 30: “jus,” Col. 12, 9, 2: “acetum,” Vitr. 7, 12: “merum in os mulae,” Col. 6, 38, 4.—
B. Esp.
1. Of tears, etc., to suffuse, fill, etc.: “lacrimis oculos suffusa nitentes,” Verg. A. 1, 228: “tepido suffundit lumina rore (i. e. lacrimis),” Ov. M. 10, 360; cf.: “lupus suffusus lumina flammā,” id. ib. 11, 368: oculi, qui ad alienam lippitudinem et ipsi suffunduntur, become suffused (with tears), Sen. Clem. 2, 6 med.; cf.: “ad quas ille voces lacrimis et multo pudore suffunditur,” Plin. Pan. 2, 8.—
2. Of other fluids, etc., to tinge, imbue, to stain, color: “agricola et minio suffusus rubenti,” stained, Tib. 2, 1, 55: “si cruore suffunduntur oculi,” become bloodshot, Plin. 23, 1, 24, § 49; so, “suffusi cruore oculi,” id. 29, 6, 38, § 126; “and in a reverse construction: sanguis oculis suffusus,” id. 20, 13, 51, § 142: “prodest felle suffusis,” for those affected with jaundice, id. 22, 21, 30, § 65: “ulcera alte suffusa medullis,” Claud. in Eutr. 2, 13; cf.: “suffusa bilis,” jaundice, Plin. 22, 21, 26, § 54: lingua est suffusa veneno, Ov. M. 2, 777: “sales suffusi felle,” id. Tr. 2, 565: “(nebulae) suffundunt suā caelum caligine,” Lucr. 6, 479: “calore suffusus aether,” suffused, intermingled, Cic. N. D. 2, 21, 54: “Hyperionis orbem Suffundi maculis,” Stat. Th. 11, 121.—
3. Of blushes, etc., to redden, suffuse, color, blush, etc.; cf.: “littera suffusas quod habet maculosa lituras,” blurred, Ov. Tr. 3, 1, 15.— “Of a blush: (Luna) si virgineum suffuderit ore ruborem,” Verg. G. 1, 430: “suffunditur ora rubore,” Ov. M. 1, 484: “roseo suffusa rubore,” id. Am. 3, 3, 5: “Masinissae rubore suffusus,” Liv. 30, 15, 1: “vultum rubore suffundere,” Pacat. Pan. Theod. 4, 4.—Absol.: “sancti viri est suffundi, si virginem viderit,” Tert. Virg. Vel. 2; Hier. adv. Jovin. 1, 48. —
4. Prov.: aquam frigidam suffundere, to throw cold water upon, i.e. to calumniate, inveigh against, Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 36. —
II. Trop.: “(metus) omnia suffundens mortis nigrore,” covering, overspreading, Lucr. 3, 39: “cibo vires ad feturam,” to supply, Varr. R. R. 2, 8, 4: “animus in aliquem malevolentiā suffusus,” overspread, filled, Cic. Fam. 1, 9, 22. — Hence, * suffūsus , a, um, P. a., blushing, bashful, modest: “suffusior sexus,” Tert. Anim. 38 med.