I. To wet, moisten, water, bedew any thing with a liquid (mostly poet. and in post-Aug. prose; cf.: irrigo, madefacio).
A. Lit.: “imbres omnia maria ac terras sparguntque rigantque,” Lucr. 6, 612: “Nilus rigat Aegyptum,” id. 6, 714; Hor. C. 3, 3, 48 (for which, irrigat, Cic. N. D. 2, 52, 130); so, “prata (fons),” Lucr. 5, 602; Ov. F. 5, 210; cf.: lucum perenni aquā (fons). Liv. 1, 21: “campos (Euphratis) accolae,” Plin. 6, 27, 31, § 130: “arbores,” id. 17, 26, 40, § 249; cf. “seminaria (opp. conspergere),” Col. 5, 6, 8: “quā Tanais Getas rigat,” Tib. 4, 1, 146: “lacrimis ora,” Verg. A. 9, 251: fletibus ora, Ov. M. 11, 419; id. P. 2, 11, 9; id. A. A. 1, 532; Luc. 4, 180; Sen. Hippol. 990 al.—Absol.: “nubes nimbique rigantes,” Lucr. 6, 521; so, “accolae,” Curt. 8, 9, 10.—
2. Poet., transf.: natos vitali rore, i. e. to suckle, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 20: “solis uti lux ac vapor cernuntur terras rigare,” bedew, flood, Lucr. 4, 203; cf. id. 5, 592: Babylonica, to wet (sc. with urine), id. 4, 1026.—
B. Trop., to water, bedew, etc.: “omnium ingenia,” Auct. Her. 4, 6, 9: “ora alicujus Philetaeā aquā,” Prop. 3 (4), 3, 52. Ov. Am. 3, 9, 26.—
II. Like irrigo, to lead, convey, or conduct water or any other liquid to a place (very rare).
A. Lit.: aquam Albanam emissam per agros rigabis (= ad rigandum diduces), an old oracle in Liv. 5, 16 fin. Drak. N. cr.: “vitalem sanguinem per venas,” Plin. 11, 37, 69, § 182. —
B. Trop.: “hinc motus per membra rigantur,” are directed, conveyed, Lucr. 2, 262: somnum per pectora, Furius ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (for which, irrigat, Lucr. 4, 908; Verg. A. 1, 692).
