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nimbus , i (
I.gen. plur. nimbūm, Pac. ap. Trag. Rel. 412 Rib.), m. Sanscr. nabhas, cloud, vapor; Gr. νέφος, νεφέλη; cf.: nubes, nebula, a violent or pouring rain, a rain-storm.
I. Lit.: terra abit in nimbos imbremque, Lucil. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 24 Müll.: “nec nubila nimbis aspergunt,Lucr. 3, 19: “terrere animos fulminibus, tempestatibus, nimbis, nivibus, grandinibus,Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 14: “denso regem operuit nimbo,Liv. 1, 16: “cum multo stillaret paenula nimbo,Juv. 5, 79.—
B. Transf.
1. A black rain-cloud, a thunder-cloud: noctisque et nimbūm occaecat nigror, Pac. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 14, 24, and de Or. 3, 39, 157: “involvere diem nimbi,Verg. A. 3, 198; so id. ib. 3, 587; Stat. Th. 1, 97.—
b. A cloud in general. So the bright cloud or cloudshaped splendor which enveloped the gods when they appeared on earth: “proprie nimbus est, qui deorum vel imperantium capita quasi clara nebula ambire fingitur,Serv. Verg. A. 3, 585: “nimbo succincta,Verg. A. 10, 634: “nimbo effulgens,id. ib. 2, 616: “nube candentes umeros amictus Augur Apollo,Hor. C. 1, 2, 31.—Hence, in eccl. Lat., of a saint's aureole, Isid. 19, 31, 2.—
(β). A cloud of smoke, dust, etc.: “respiciunt atram in nimbo volitare favillam,Verg. A. 5, 666: “fulvae nimbus harenae,id. G. 3, 110: “pulveris,Claud. in Rufin. 2, 176.—
2. A head-band, frontlet, worn by females to make the forehead appear small, acc. to Isid. Orig. 19, 31 (in Arn. 2, 72, the correct reading is not nimbis, but limbis; v. limbus).—
3. Like the Engl. cloud, of a multitude of things which spread out like a cloud: “nimbus peditum,Verg. A. 7, 793: “pilorum,Sil. 5, 215: “telorum,Luc. 4, 776: “velut nimbum glandis et sagittas ingerebant,Liv. 36, 18, 5: “lapidum saxorumque,Flor. 3, 8, 4: “Corycius,” i. e. of saffron, Mart. 9, 39, 5: “et Cilices nimbis hic maduere suis,id. Spect. 3, 8: “lucerna nimbis ebria Nicerotianis,full of perfumed unguents, id. ib. 10, 38, 8: purpureus, a great quantity of flowers, Claud. Nupt. Honor. et Mar. 298.—
4. A vessel with many holes in it, used at public shows and at entertainments for sprinkling liquid perfumes: “nimbus vitreus,Mart. 14, 112 in lemm.—*
II. Trop., a storm, tempest, i. e. sudden misfortune: “hunc quidem nimbum cito transisse laetor,Cic. Att. 15, 9, 2.
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hide References (14 total)
  • Cross-references in general dictionaries from this page (14):
    • Cicero, Letters to Atticus, 15.9.2
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 3.198
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 10.634
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 5.666
    • Vergil, Aeneid, 7.793
    • Vergil, Georgics, 3.110
    • Lucretius, De Rerum Natura, 3.19
    • Lucan, Civil War, 4.776
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 36, 18
    • Livy, The History of Rome, Book 1, 16
    • Cicero, de Natura Deorum, 2.5
    • Cicero, De Divinatione, 1.14
    • Statius, Thebias, 1
    • Martial, Epigrammata, 14.112
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