(adj.adv.) : fēcundus (sometimes erroneously foecund-and faecund-, but v. Varr. ap. Gell. 16, 12 fin., and ap. Non. 54, 8), a, um, adj. from ‡ feo, whence also fetus, femina, fenus, etc., cf. felix
* Fruitful, fertile (of plants and animals).—Constr. with abl., gen., or absol. (with gen. only poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
* Lit. (class.): fossiones agri repastinationesque, quibus fit multo terra fecundior,Cic. de Sen. 15, 53; cf. Verg. G. 1, 67; Quint. 10, 3, 2: glebae,Lucr. 1, 211: solum,Quint. 2, 19, 2: cf. Just. 2, 1: salices viminibus, frondibus ulmi,Verg. G. 2, 446.—With gen.: regio fecunda fruticis exigui,Col. 9, 4, 2: tellus metallorum,Plin. 33, 4, 21, § 78; for which: Amathus metallis,Ov. M. 10, 220 Bach. N. cr.: mons silvae frequens fecundusque,Tac. A. 4, 65: segetes fecundae et uberes,id. Or. 15, 48: nihil ocimo fecundius,Plin. 19, 7, 36, § 120: uxores,Lucr. 4, 1254: conjux,Hor. S. 2, 5, 31: lepus,id. ib. 2, 4, 44; cf.: sue ... nihil genuit natura fecundius,Cic. N. D. 2, 64, 160.
* Transf.
* Trop., fruitful, fertile, prolific, abundant (class.): pectus, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 13, 22; Verg. A. 7, 338: artifex,Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 71: a quo (Anaxagora) eum (Periclem), cum alia praeclara quaedam et magnifica didicisse, uberem et fecundum fuisse,Cic. Or. 4, 15: duo genera verborum: unum fecundum, quod declinando multas ex se parit dispariles formas, ut est lego, legis, legam, sic alia: alterum genus sterile, quod ex se parit nihil, ut est etiam, vix, cras, etc.,Varr. L. L. 8, § 9 Müll.: amor et melle et felle est fecundissimus,Plaut. Cist. 1, 1, 70: fecunda culpae saecula,Hor. C. 3, 6, 17: veri sacerdos,Sil. 13, 490: fecundum in fraudes hominum genus,id. 2, 498: vester porro labor fecundior, historiarum scriptores?Juv. 7, 98.—Hence, fēcundē, adv., fruitfully, abundantly: fecundius poëmata ferrent fructum,Varr. L. L. 7, § 2 Müll.: arundo recisa fecundius resurgit,Plin. 16, 36, 65, § 163: cantharides nascuntur fecundissime in fraxino,id. 29, 4, 30, § 94.
* Making fruitful, fertilizing (only poet. and in post-Aug. prose): imber,Verg. G. 2, 325; cf. Nilus,Plin. 5, 9, 10, § 54: excipe fecundae patienter verbera dextrae, i. e. the blows with a thong of skin given to women by the luperci, and which were supposed to promote fruitfulness,Ov. F. 2, 427; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 8, 343; and: quam (Danaën) implevit fecundo Juppiter auro,Ov. M. 4, 698.

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