sprinkle Copy link Outline I. Trans.II. Intrans. • sprinkle: I. Trans.: spargo, si, sum, 3: to s. (people) with light dew, levi rore s., Virg. Aen. 6, 230: Ov. Fig.: having the temples s.d with gray, sparsus tempora canis, Ov. M. 8, 567. Comps.: (1.) conspergo, 3 (strengthened from simple verb, and like it used with acc. of that which is s.d): to s. the earth with dew, terram rore c., Plin.: to s. roads on account of dust, vias propter pulverem c., Suet. Cal. 43. (2.) aspergo, 3 (to s. on: with acc. and abl., also dat. and acc.): to s. an altar with blood, aram sanguine a., Cic. N. D. 3, 36, 88: but also with acc. and dat. (guttam bulbo a.), id. Clu. 26, 71 (there is some difference in the two ways of expression, the latter constr. being more suitable to denote dropping one thing on to another; the former to denote bedewing or wetting one substance with some fluid). (3.) inspergo, 3 (to s. upon: like aspergo, with twofold constr.): to s. olives with salt, oleam sale i., Cato: to s. salt cake and wine, molam et vinum i. [sc. hostiae], Cic. Div. 2, 16, 37: Plin. (aspergo to s. with a liquid only: inspergo, with anything that may rest on the surface). See also to scatter, strew. II. Intrans.: to rain gently, and in scattered drops: rōro, 1: it s.s before it rains, rorat antequam pluit, Varr. L. L. 7, 3, 58: Suet.
SPRINKLE Copy link • SPRINKLETo scatter water by drops, spargere: aspergere (e.g., water on the ground). To sprinkle on anything, aspergere aliquid alicui rei: conspergere aliquid aliqua re: to sprinkle the ground before the door, spargere or conspergere humum (ante aedes). To sprinkle the roads in order to lay the dust, vias conspergere propter pulverem. To spot, maculis variare (☞ not maculare): sprinkled, maculosus: coloris maculosi. Sprinkled with while, maculis albis: sprinkled with black, maculis nigris: sprinkled with gold, ex aureolo varius; aureis maculis sparsus: sprinkled with blue and yellow, ex caeruleo fulvoque varius. ☞ Sparsus alone can never mean “sprinkled. “