I.to light up, make light, illuminate (class.; cf. illustro).
I. A.. Lit.: “luna illuminata a sole,” Cic. N. D. 2, 46, 119: “puteum (sole),” Plin. 2, 73, 75, § 183: “tabulata gallinarum parvis fenestellis,” Col. 8, 3, 3: “vias igni,” Stat. Th. 12, 575.—
B. Transf., to embellish or adorn with any thing bright: “corona aurea fulgentibus gemmis illuminata,” Auct. Her. 4, 47, 60; Lampr. Comm. 17: “purpura omnem vestem illuminat,” Plin. 9, 36, 60, § 127.—
II. Trop., to set in a clear light, to set off, make conspicuous (esp. freq. in rhetor. lang. of brilliant oratory): “translatum, quod maxime tamquam stellis quibusdam notat et illuminat orationem,” Cic. de Or. 3, 43, 170; cf. id. Or. 25, 83: “orationem sententiis,” id. de Or. 3, 54, 208: “orationem translatorum nitore,” Quint. 12, 10, 36: “pulchritudinem rerum (claritas orationis),” id. 2, 16, 10; 8, 3, 73: “horum fidem Mitylenaeorum perfidia illuminavit,” Vell. 2, 18, 3: “nisi Thebas unum os Pindari illuminaret,” made illustrious, id. 1, 18, 3: “illuminata sapientia,” Cic. Brut. 58, 213.—Hence, * illūmĭnātē (inl- ), adv., clearly, luminously: “dicere,” Cic. de Or. 3, 14, 53.