foment

verb /fəʊˈmɛnt/

1. To incite or cause troublesome acts; to encourage; to instigate.

   transitive

   He was arrested for fomenting a riot; after all, it's bad enough being in a riot but starting one is much worse.

2. To apply a poultice to; to bathe with a cloth or sponge.

   transitive

   Sties in the eye are irritating and disfiguring. Foment with warm water; at night apply a bread-and-milk poultice.

Where it comes from

From Middle English fomenten, a borrowing from Old French fomenter, from Late Latin fōmentāre, from Latin fōmentum (“lotion”), from fovēre (“heat, cherish”).

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry foment (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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