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.—*