I. Act., to weave, entwine, braid, join together; to interweave, unite, connect (class. in prose and poetry).
A. In gen.
1. Prop.: “ut earum (ovium) villis confectis atque contextis homines vestiantur?” Cic. N. D. 2, 63, 158: “alba lilia amarantis,” Tib. 3, 4, 33: haec directā materiā injecta contexebantur, these (beams) were held together by timbers laid in a straight direction, Caes. B. G. 4, 17; so id. ib. 7, 23, 4 (cf. Jahn, Neue Jahrb. 1855, p. 516 sq.): “fossam loricamque,” Tac. A. 4, 49: “nec tam contextae cum sint (animae cum corporibus),” Lucr. 3, 695.—With dat. (post-Aug.): “optime epilogum defensioni contexit,” Sen. Contr. 7 (3), 20, 7: “sceleribus scelera contexens,” Sen. Ira, 1, 16, 3.—
2. Trop.: “quid est aetas hominis, nisi memoria rerum veterum cum superiorum aetate contexitur?” Cic. Or. 34, 120: “conjuncte nostra cum reliquis rebus,” id. Fam. 5, 12, 2: “extrema cum primis,” id. ib. 10, 13, 2: “his et plasticen,” Plin. 35, 12, 43, § 151: “partes,” Quint. 4, prooem. 7. “11, 1, 6: in verbis singulis et contextis,” id. 9, 4, 23 al.: “longius hoc carmen,” to weave on, continue, Cic. Cael. 8, 18; cf. “interrupta,” id. Leg. 1, 3, 9: “Caesaris nostri commentarios rerum gestarum Galliae, Auct. B. G. 8, prooem.: quae statim referri non poterant, contexuntur postero die,” Quint. 11, 2, 43.—
B. Esp., to join together, to compose, make, construct, form, put together (cf.: compono, conecto, consero, etc.).
1. Lit.: “equum trabibus acernis,” Verg. A. 2, 112: “puppes tenui cannā,” Val. Fl. 2, 108: “saccum tenui vimine,” Col. 9, 15, 12.—
2. Trop.: “orationem,” Quint. 10, 6, 2; cf. “librum,” Sen. Ep. 114, 18: “crimen,” to devise, contrive, invent, Cic. Deiot. 6, 19.—
II. Neutr.: contexere de aliquā re, to treat of: “de sili,” Plin. 20, 5, 18, § 36.—Hence, contextus , a, um, P. a., cohering, connected: “contexta condensaque corpora (opp. diffusa),” Lucr. 4, 57: “oratio alia vincta atque contexta, soluta alia,” Quint. 9, 4, 19: tropos ille (corresp. with continua μεταφορά), id. 9, 2, 46.—* Adv.: contex-tē , connected together, in close connection: “omnia necesse est colligatione naturali conserte contexteque fieri,” Cic. Fat. 14, 32.