honeyvinegar

mulcĕo, si, sum (rarely mulctum), 2, v. a. [Sanscr. root marc, take hold of; Gr. marptô, marptis; cf. mulco], to stroke; to touch or move lightly (syn. palpo; poet. and in post-Aug. prose).

Lit.:

manu mulcens barbam,

Ov. F. 1, 259:

caput,

Quint. 11, 3, 158:

vitulum,

Ov. A. A. 2, 341:

colla,

id. M. 10, 118:

mulcebant Zephyri flores,

rustle through, id. ib. 1, 108:

aura mulcet rosas,

Prop. 4 (5), 7, 60:

virgā mulcere capillos,

to touch lightly, Ov. M. 14, 295:

aristas,

id. F. 5, 161:

mulcere alternos (pueros) et corpora fingere linguā,

Verg. A. 8, 634:

aëra motu,

Lucr. 4, 136:

aethera pennis,

to move, Cic. Arat. 88: mulserat huc navem compulsam fluctibu' pontus, had wafted hither, Enn. ap. Prisc. p. 870 P. (Ann. v. 257 Vahl.).—

Transf., to make sweet or pleasant:

pocula succis Lyaei,

Sil. 7, 169. —

Trop., to soothe, soften, appease, allay; to caress, flatter, delight, etc. (syn.:

blandior. placo, lenio, sedo): mulcentem tigres, of Orpheus,

Verg. G. 4, 510:

aliquem dictis,

id. A. 5, 464:

fluctūs,

id. ib. 1, 66:

iras,

id. ib. 7, 755:

jure,

Vell. 2, 117, 3.— To alleviate, mitigate:

variā vulnera mulcet ope,

alleviates the pain of his wounds, Ov. F. 5, 401:

dolores nervorum,

Plin. 22, 24, 50, § 107:

os stomachumque,

id. 22, 24, 51, § 110:

ebrietatem,

id. 21, 20, 81, § 138:

lassitudinem,

id. 37, 5, 16, § 63:

corpora fessa,

Ov. M. 11, 625: aliquem laudibus, to flatter, Pac. ap. Paul. ex Fest. s. v. Mulciber, p. 144 Müll. (Trag. Rel. p. 109 Rib.):

puellas carmine,

to delight, Hor. C. 3, 11, 24:

animos admiratione,

Quint. 1, 10, 9:

aures figmentis verborum novis,

to delight, Gell. 20, 9, 1.—Hence, mulsus, a, um, P. a.

Adj., mixed with honey; sweet as honey, honey-sweet (post-Aug.):

mulsa (sc. aqua),

honey-water, hydromel, Col. 12, 12, 3:

acetum,

vinegar and honey mixed together, honey-vinegar, Cato, R. R. 157, 6:

lac,

Plin. 10, 22, 27, § 52:

mulsa pira,

Col. 5, 10, 18.— Trop., of words, etc., sweet as honey, honeyed (Plautin.):

ut mulsa dicta dicis!

Plaut. Rud. 2, 3, 34:

loqui,

id. Poen. 1, 2, 112.—

Subst.

mulsa, ae, f., a term of endearment, my sweetheart, my honey (Plautin.):

age, mulsa mea,

Plaut. Stich. 5, 5, 14; id. Cas. 2, 6, 20.—

mulsum, i, n. (sc. vinum), honey-wine, mead, i. e. wine mixed or made with honey (class.):

commisce mulsum,

Plaut. Pers. 1, 3, 7; id. Bacch. 4, 9, 48:

frigidum,

Cic. de Or. 2, 70, 282:

aceti, for mulsum acetum,

honeyvinegar, Ser. Samm. 49, 714.