mulcĕo, si, sum (rarely mulctum), 2, v. a. Sanscr. root marc, take hold of; Gr. μάρπτω, μάρπτις; 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.