I.to be stiff or numb; to stiffen (syn.: concresco, conglacio).
I. Lit. (class.).
1. With cold: “frigore,” Lucr. 3, 891; Cic. Tusc. 1, 28, 69 (opp. uri calore): “gelu,” Liv. 21, 32; Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 30; id. Pan. 82, 5: “prata rigent,” Hor. C. 4, 12, 3: “stagnum,” Col. 8, 17, 2: “corpora omnibus,” Liv. 21, 54; cf. poet.: “horridus December,” Mart. 7, 95.—
2. Of any physical stiffness: “gelido comae terrore rigebant,” stood on end, bristled up, Ov. M. 3, 100; so, “ora indurata,” id. ib. 14, 503: “ardua cervix (with horrent setae),” id. ib. 8, 284: “cerealia dona rigent,” i. e. are hardened into gold, id. ib. 11, 122: “vestes auroque ostroque,” are stiff, stand out, Verg. A. 11, 72; cf.: “terga boum plumbo insuto ferroque,” id. ib. 5, 405: “manicae ex auro,” Sil. 4, 155: “signa,” Lucr. 5, 1427.—
II. Poet., transf., to stand stiff or upright: “(pars summa scopuli) riget,” Ov. M. 4, 526; 6, 573: “late riget Tmolus,” id. ib. 11, 150: “sine frondibus arbos,” id. ib. 13, 691: “illitterati num minus nervi rigent?” Hor. Epod. 8, 17.—
III. Trop., to remain unmoved, inert (very rare): “feritas immota riget,” Mart. 5, 31, 5. —Hence, rĭgens , entis, P. a., stiff, inflexible, rigid, unbending (mostly post-class.).
1. Lit.: “secui madidas ungue rigente genas,” Ov. H. 5, 72: “lorica ex aere,” Verg. A. 8, 621: “aqua,” i. e. frozen, Mart. 14, 117: “pars mundi ipsis aquilonis conceptaculis rigentissima,” Sol. 15: “caput (with praedurum),” rigid, Quint. 11, 3, 69; cf. id. 2, 13, 9: interque rigentes (partes terrae), Tib. 4, 1, 165: “gelu flumina,” Plin. Pan. 82, 5.—
2. Trop., stubborn, inflexible, unyielding: “animus,” Sen. Hippol. 413; cf.: “vir tot malis,” id. Thyest. 304.