I.to crowd or press together, to compress (class.; esp. of personal objects, and in part. perf.; cf.: comprimo, compono).
I. Lit.: “qui acceperant majorem numerum (assium), non in arcā ponebant, sed in aliquā cellā stipabant, id est componebant, quo minus loci occuparet,” Varr. L. L. 5, § 182 Müll.: “ingens argentum,” Verg. A. 3, 465: “apes mella Stipant,” id. G. 4, 164; id. A. 1, 433: “materies stipata,” Lucr. 1, 345: “nec tamen undique corporea stipata tenentur omnia naturā,” id. 1, 329; cf. id. 2, 294; 1, 611; 1, 664: “Graeci stipati, quini in lectulis, saepe plures,” Cic. Pis. 27, 67: “velut stipata phalanx,” Liv. 33, 18: “ita in arto stipatae erant naves, ut, etc.,” id. 26, 39: “fratrum stipata cohors,” Verg. A. 10, 328.— Poet.: stipare Platona Menandro, i. e. to pack up together the works of Plato, Menander, etc., Hor. S. 2, 3, 11: “custodum gregibus circa seu stipat euntem,” closely surrounds her with, Prop. 3, 8 (4, 7), 13; cf. “mid.: cuncta praecipiti stipantur saecula cursu,” throng, crowd, Claud. Rapt. Pros. 2, 311.—
II. Transf., to press, cram, stuff, or fill full of any thing: “ut pontes calonibus et impedimentis stipatos reperit,” Suet. Calig. 51: “hos (poëtas) ediscit et hos arcto stipata theatro Spectat Roma,” Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 60; cf.: “curia cum patribus fuerit stipata,” Ov. P. 3, 1, 143: “multo Patrum stipatur curia coetu,” Sil. 11, 503: “recessus equi,” Petr. 89: “tribunal,” Plin. Ep. 6, 33, 4: “calathos prunis,” Col. 10, 405: “nucein sulfure,” Flor. 3, 19: “calceum,” Tert. Virg. Vel. 12: “tectum omne,” App. M. 3, p. 130, 13.—
B. With a personal object, of a dense crowd, to surround, encompass, environ, attend, accompany, etc. (syn.: “comitor, prosequor): Catilina stipatus choro juventutis, vallatus indicibus atque sicariis,” Cic. Mur. 24, 49: “qui stipatus semper sicariis, saeptus armatis, munitus indicibus fuit,” id. Sest. 44, 95: “stipati gregibus amicorum,” id. Att. 1, 18, 1; cf. id. Mil. 1, 1: “telis stipati,” id. Phil. 5, 6, 17: “qui senatum stiparit armatis,” id. ib. 3, 12, 31: “stipatus lictoribus,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 40, § 86: “senectus stipata studiis juventutis,” id. Sen. 9, 28: “comitum turba est stipata suarum,” Ov. M. 3, 186: “juventus stipat ducem,” Val. Fl. 7, 557; Plin. Pan. 23; Capitol. Max. et Balb. 13.—Absol.: “magnă stipante catervă,” Verg. A. 4, 136; Liv. 42, 39: “huc coetus ministrūm stipantur,” Stat. S. 3, 1, 87. —Hence, * stīpātus , a, um, P. a., begirt, surrounded: “ab omni ordine, sexu, aetate stipatissimus,” Sid. Ep. 3, 2.