I.heteroclit. abl. plur.: fetis, Att. ap. Non. 489, 6, v. in the foll.), m. ‡ feo, v. the preced. art...
I. Abstr., a bringing forth, bearing, dropping, hatching of young (rare but class.): “pater (Juppiter) curavit, uno ut fetu fieret,” at one birth, Plaut. Am. 1, 2, 25: “quarum (bestiarum) in fetu et in educatione laborem cum cernimus,” Cic. Fin. 3, 19, 63: “cornix inauspicatissima fetus tempore,” Plin. 10, 12, 14, § 30: “secundi fetus pecudes signari oportet,” Col. 11, 2, 38.—
B. Transf., of plants, a bearing, producing: “quae frugibus atque bacis terrae fetu profunduntur,” Cic. Leg. 1, 8, 25: “periti rerum adseverant, non ferre (Arabiam) tantum annuo fetu (casiae), quantum, etc.,” Plin. 12, 18, 41, § 83. —
II. Concr., young, offspring, progeny, brood (the predom. signif. of the word, in sing. and plur.; esp. freq. in poets; cf.: “catulus, pullus, hinnus, hinnuleus): quae (bestiae) multiplices fetus procreant, ut sues, ut canes, his mammarum data est multitudo,” Cic. N. D. 2, 51, 128: “facile illa (piscium ova) aqua et sustinentur et fetum fundunt,” id. ib.: “fetus ventri exsecti,” Plin. 8, 55, 81, § 217: “cervae lactens fetus,” a fawn, Ov. M. 6, 637: “melliferarum apium,” id. ib. 15, 382: “ex die emptionis, et fetus pecorum et ancillarum partus ad emptorem pertinent,” Paul. Sent. 2, 17, 7: “quis (paveat), Germania quos horrida parturit Fetus?” the German brood, Hor. C. 4, 5, 27.—So very rarely of human beings: “si vitium factum esset, ut (mulier) concipere fetus non posset,” Gell. 4, 2, 10.—
2. Transf., of plants, fruit, produce: “ager novatus et iteratus, quo meliores fetus possit et grandiores edere,” Cic. de Or. 2, 30, 131; cf.: “nutriant fetus et aquae salubres Et Jovis aurae,” Hor. Carm. Sec. 31: “(arbores) crescunt ipsae fetuque gravantur,” Lucr. 1, 253; cf. id. 1, 351: Cithaeron frondet viridantibus fetis, Att. ap. Non. 489, 6: “arborei,” Verg. G. 1, 55: “mutatis requiescunt fetibus arva,” id. ib. 1, 82; “4, 231: silvae dant alios aliae fetus,” id. ib. 2, 442: “triticei,” Ov. F. 1, 693: gravidi (of grapes), id. M. 8, 294: “nucis, i. e. surculus, auricomi,” the golden-bough, id. Am. 6, 141; Verg. G. 2, 69: “omnis fetus repressus exustusque flos,” Cic. Brut. 4, 16.—Of veins of metals: “atros fetus chalybis,” Sil. 1, 230.—
B. Trop.: “nec ulla aetate uberior oratorum fetus fuit,” progeny, growth, Cic. Brut. 49, 182: “animi,” production, id. Tusc. 5, 24, 68: “dulces Musarum expromere fetus,” Cat. 65, 3.
