I.to shape, fashion, form (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. sense).
I. Lit.: omnis fere materia nondum formata rudis appellatur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 265: “materia, quam fingit et format effectio,” Cic. Ac. 1, 2, 6: “utcumque temperatus sit aër, ita pueros orientes animari atque formari,” id. Div. 2, 42, 89: “lapsos formare capillos,” to adjust, Prop. 1, 3, 23: “classem in Ida,” Verg. A. 9, 80: “vultus,” Plin. 35, 8, 34, § 56: “e Pario formatum marmore signum,” Ov. M. 3, 419.— Absol.: “(individua corpora, i. e. atomi) formare, figurare, colorare, animare (se ipsa) non possent,” Cic. N. D. 1, 39, 110.—
II. Trop., to shape, form, regulate, dispose, direct; to prepare, compose, etc. (in Cic. only with abstr. objects): “verba nos, sicut mollissimam ceram, ad nostrum arbitrium formamus et fingimus,” Cic. de Or. 3, 45, 177: “orationem,” id. ib. 2, 9, 36: “verba recte formare,” Quint. 1, 12, 9; 10, 7, 7: “ea quae inter se discrepant,” Cic. de Or. 3, 9, 34: “eloquentiam,” Quint. 2, 10, 2: “actionem,” id. 11, 3, 180: “disciplinam filii,” id. 4 praef. § 1; cf.: “studia ejus, id. prooem. § 5: consuetudinem partim exercitationis assiduitate partim ratione formare,” Cic. Ac. 1, 5, 20: “mores,” Quint. 12, 2, 27: “vitam et mores juventutis,” Plin. Pan. 47, 1: “custodireque in aetate prima pudorem,” Quint. 1, 2, 4: “nulla res magis penetrat in animos, eosque fingit, format, flectit, etc.,” Cic. Brut. 38, 142: “quae formabat canendo Heroum mentes,” Sil. 11, 452; cf. Quint. 1, 12, 10: “animum judicum,” id. 4, 1, 60: “mentes,” id. 2, 16, 10: “mores juventutis quam principaliter formas!” Plin. Pan. 47, 1; 88, 3: “epistolas orationesque et edicta alieno formabat ingenio,” Suet. Dom. 20; cf.: “si quid res exigeret, Latine formabat,” id. Aug. 89: “inventus est ejus de hac re sermo formatus,” id. Ner. 47: “personam formare nevam,” to invent, Hor. A. P. 126: versus meos cantat formatque citharā, qs. trims, embellishes them, Plin. Ep. 4, 19, 4: “cogitet oratorem institui, rem arduam, etiam cum ei formando nihil defuerit,” Quint. 1, 1, 10; cf.: (juvenis) ita a me formari et institui cupit, ut, etc., Plin. Ep. 1, 14, 3: “perfectum ora torem,” Quint. 2, 15, 33: “sapientem,” id. 1, 10, 5: “virum,” id. 12, 1, 44: “puerum dictis,” Hor. S. 1, 4, 121: “feros cultus hominum recentum dictis,” id. C. 1, 10, 3: “tenerae nimis mentes asperioribus formandae studiis,” id. ib. 3, 24, 54: “poëtam (with alere),” id. A. P. 307: “format enim natura prius nos intus ad omnem Fortunarum habitum,” id. ib. 108: “ad credendum ante formatus,” Quint. 5, 7, 8; 7, 3, 14: “opus movendi judicum animos atque in eum quem volumus habitum formandi,” id. 6, 2, 1; 11, 1, 2: “at quae non tacita formavi gaudia mente,” Ov. Am. 3, 7, 63: “se in mores alicujus,” Liv. 1, 21, 2: in admirationem formata, i. e. feigning, simulans, Suet. Claud. 37.
