Pecto, pectis, pexui, vel pexi, pexum, péctere. Virg.To kembe or trimme haire: to carde wooll: to strike the Dulcimers or harpe.Cæsariem pectere. Hor. Capillos pectere. Ouid.Capillos pectendos præbere.Ouid.Comas bene pectere. Tibul. Lanam pectere. Colum. To carde wooll.Stupam pectere. Plin. To kembe slaxe or hurdes.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
pecto, pexi (pexui, Alcim. Ep. 77), pexum and pectĭtum, 3, v. a. [Gr. pe/kw, pekte/w, to comb, shear; po/kos, fleece; Lat. pecten], to comb.I.Lit.: tenues comas, Tib. 1, 9, 68: longas comas, id. 2, 5, 8: caesariem, Hor. C. 1, 15, 14: capillos, Ov. H. 13, 31; cf.: pexisti capillum, Maec. ap. Prisc. p. 903 P: barbam, Juv. 14, 216: pectebat ferum (cervum), Verg. A. 7, 489: capilli pexi, Juv. 11, 150: pexa barba, Mart. 7, 58, 2: ille pexus pinguisque doctor, Quint. 1, 5, 14.—In a Greek construction: ipsa comas pectar, Ov. H. 13, 39.—II.Transf.A.To comb, card, heckle: stuppa pectitur ferreis hamis, Plin. 19, 1, 3, 17: pectitae lanae, Col. 12, 3, 6.—B.To dress, hoe, weed, Col. 10, 148: pectita tellus, id. 10, 94.—Hence, III.Trop., comic.: aliquem fusti or pugnis, to give one a dressing or thrashing: leno pugnis pectitur, Plaut. Rud. 3, 2, 47: pugnis, id. Men. 5, 7, 28: aliquem fusti, id. Capt. 4, 2, 116.—Hence, pexus (as a surname, written PEXSVS, PEXSA, Inscr. Grut. 487, 1; Marin. Iscriz. Alb. p. 91), a, um, P. a., woolly, that still has the nap on, new: tunica, Hor. Ep. 1, 1, 95: vestes, Plin. 8, 48, 73, 191.—Hence: pexa munera, prob. a new woolly toga, Mart. 7, 46, 6.—B.Transf.: folium,