πέσσω

A. πέψω Ar. Fr. 202 (cj. for πέμψω) : aor. ἔπεψα Pherecr. 183, Pl. R. 372b, (κατα‐) Il. 1.81 :—Med. (v. infr.), aor. ἐπεψάμην Hegem. ap. Ath. 15.698f :—Pass., fut. πεφθήσομαι Arist. Pr. 927b31, Gal. 1.634 : aor. ἐπέφθην Herm. in Phdr. p.93 A., v.l. in Hp. Acut.(Sp.) 67, Arist. Pr. 864a32 : pf. Pass. πέπεμμαι Hp. Dent. 26, Ar. Pax 869:—soften, ripen, or change by means of heat:

I. of the West wind, ripen fruit, Od. 7.119 : generally, bring to maturity, Arist. GA 780b10 ; also ὅταν [ὁ ἥλιος] ὑγρὸν ὄντα τὸν ἀέρα πέττῃ καὶ διακρίνῃ Id. Pr. 944a13.

II. by the action of fire, cook, dress, esp. bake, σιτία Hdt. 8.137 ; ἄρτους Ar. Ra. 505 ; τὰ μὲν πέψαντες τὰ δὲ μάξαντες Pl. R. 372b :—Pass., σιτία σφί ἐστι ἱρὰ πεσσόμενα Hdt. 2.37 ; ὁ πλακοῦς πέπεπται Ar. Pax 869 ; ἄρτον εὖ πεπεμμένον Id. Pl. 1136 :—Med., πέσσεσθαι πέμματα bake oneself cakes, Hdt. 1.160.

2. distribute largess of cooked food, IGRom. 4.1638 (Philadelphia) ; cf. πέψις.

III. by the action of the stomach, digest, κοιλίαι πέσσουσι Hp. VM 11, cf. Arist. GA 718b21, PA 677b31, al.; opp. κατεργάζεσθαι (chew), Plu. Eum. 11 :—Pass., τὸ σηπτὸν περίττωμα τοῦ πεφθέντος ἐστίν Arist. GA 762a15, cf. Mete. 381b12 ; of milk, etc., to be concocted, Id. GA 776a26, 777a7.

b. οἶνος π. τὰ σῖτα promotes the digestion of food, Ath. 1.26a.

2. metaph., of diseases, πέσσεται νοῦσος is 'concocted', comes to a crisis, Hp. Acut. 42.

3. metaph., also, mostly in bad sense, χόλον πέσσειν nurse, brood over one's wrath, ἀλλ’ ἐπὶ νηυσὶ χόλον θυμαλγέα πέσσει Il. 4.513, cf. 9.565 (but, digest, i. e. allow to cool down, in Arist. EN 1126a24); κήδεα π. Il. 24.617,639 ; αἰεί Philet. 1 ; βέλος πέσσειν have a dart in one to brood over, Il. 8.513 ; γέρα πεσσέμεν gorge himself on them, 2.237 (later, simply, enjoy, θρεπτήρια A.R. 1.283); also ἀκίνδυνον αἰῶνα πέσσειν lead a sodden life of ease, Pi. P. 4.186. (I.-E. peq[uglide]-, cf. Skt. pácati 'cook', Lat. coquo, Slav. pek<*> 'I bake'.)