nĭtesco — Lewis & Short
nĭtesco, tŭi, 3,
I v. inch. n. [niteo], to begin to shine or glitter, to shine, glitter (poet. and in post-Aug. prose).
I Lit.: caelum nitescere, arbores frondescere, Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 1, 28, 69 (Trag. v. 192 Vahl.):
exiguo qui stellarum candore nitescit,Cic. Arat. 174:
juventus Nudatos umeros oleo perfusa nitescit,Verg. A. 5, 134:
nitescente novā lunā,Plin. 8, 1, 1, § 2; 37, 12, 74, § 195:
ex umero Pelopis non nituisset ebur,Tib. 1, 4, 58 (64).—
B Transf.
1 Of animals, to grow sleek, well-conditioned, fat:
armenta nitescunt,Plin. Ep. 2, 17, 3.—
2 Of persons, to become blooming; in perf., to be blooming:
o pueri, nituistis,Hor. S. 2, 2, 128.—
3 Of plants, to grow luxuriously, to thrive, Plin. 12, 25, 54, § 112.—
II Trop., to be formed or cultivated:
ut ingenio, doctrinā, praeceptione natura nitescat,Auct. Her. 3, 16, 29.—To become illustrious or celebrated:
quid non cultu nitescit?Quint. 9, 4, 5 (Tac. A. 12, 58; Halm and Ritter, enitesceret).