I.perf., ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [stella].
I. Neutr., to be set or covered with stars. So only in the part. pres. stellans, antis, bestarred, starry (poet.): “caelo stellante,” Lucr. 4, 212; so, “caelum,” Verg. A. 7, 210: “tecta summi patris,” Val. Fl. 5, 623: “Olympus, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 19: nox,” id. ib. 1, 11, 18: “ora Tauri,” Ov. F. 5, 603.—
B. Transf.: “gemmis caudam (pavonis) stellantibus implet,” glittering, shining, Ov. M. 1, 723: “tegmina (i. e. vestes),” gleaming, Val. Fl. 3, 98: “lumina (i. e. oculi),” id. ib. 2, 499: “volatus (cicindelarum),” Plin. 18, 26, 66, § 250: “frons,” covered as it were with stars, Mart. 2, 29, 9: “universa armis stellantibus coruscabant,” Amm. 19, 1, 2.—
II. Act., to set or cover with stars; in the verb. finit. only post-Aug. and very rare (cf. part. infra): “quis caelum stellet fomes, Mart. Cap. poët. 2, § 118 (al. qui caelum stellet formis, Gron. p. 29): (gemmae) stellarum Hyadum et numero et dispositione stellantur,” are set with stars, Plin. 37, 7, 28, § 100.—Trop.: “ipsa vero pars materiae digna laudari quanto verborum stellatur auro,” Symm. Ep. 3, 11.—Part. and P. a.: stellātus , a, um, set with stars, starry, stellate, starred (class.): stellatus Cepheus, i. e. placed in the heavens as a constellation, * Cic. Tusc. 5, 3, 8: “aether,” Val. Fl. 2, 42: “domus (deorum),” Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 8; cf. id. Cons. Hon. 4, 209.—
B. Transf.: “stellatus Argus,” i. e. many-eyed, Ov. M. 1, 664; Stat. Th. 6, 277: “jaspide fulvā Ensis,” sparkling, glittering, Verg. A. 4, 261: “variis stellatus corpora guttis,” thickly set, Ov. M. 5, 461: “gemma auratis guttis,” Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 179: “animal stellatum,” id. 10, 67, 86, § 188: “vela,” id. 19, 1, 6, § 24: “stellatis axibus agger,” star-shaped, Sil. 13, 109; Luc. 3, 455.
