Lewis & Short

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illustro (inl-), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [illustris], to light up, make light, illuminate (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.).

  1. I. Lit.: o, qua sol habitabiles Illustrat oras, maxime principum? Hor. C. 4, 14, 6: placida nocte leniter illustrante stellas, Plin. 2, 18, 16, § 80: ergastulum angustis illustratum fenestris, Col. 1, 6, 3 (but Cic. Rep. 6, 17, read lustret).
  2. II. Trop. (acc. to illustris, II. A. and B.).
    1. A. To make clear to the mind, to clear up, elucidate, illustrate, explain: ut ea consilia, quae clam essent inita contra salutem urbis, illustrarentur, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 20; cf.: illustrantur, erumpunt omnia, id. ib. 1, 3, 6; id. Rep. 2, 18; Lucr. 1, 137: omnia illustrata, patefacta, comperta sunt per me, Cic. Cat. 3, 1, 3; 3, 9, 21; cf.: si modo id patefactum et illustratum est, id. Lael. 26, 97; and: jus obscurum et ignotum patefacere et illustrare, id. de Or. 1, 39, 177: philosophiam veterem Latinis litteris illustrare, id. Ac. 1, 1, 3; cf. id. Brut. 64, 228: illustrant eam (orationem) quasi stellae quaedam translata verba atque immutata, place in the right light, embellish, set off, adorn, id. Or. 27, 92; cf. id. Inv. 2, 15, 49: de illustranda oratione ut diceres, id. de Or. 3, 36, 144: orationem, Quint. 4, 3, 4; 8, 6, 14; 11, 1, 2.
    2. B. To render famous, renowned, illustrious: aliquem laudibus, Luccei. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 1: quem Brutus cognomine suo illustravit, Plin. 34, 8, 19, § 82: familiam, Suet. Galb. 3: illustrabit, mihi crede, tuam amplitudinem hominum injuria, Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2: humilius genus illustrasse factis, Quint. 3, 7, 10: summa quibus illustratur forum ingenia, id. 10, 1, 122; cf.: Padus poenā Phaëthontis illustratus, Plin. 3, 16, 20, § 117: vina maxime illustrata Messalae potu et salute, id. 14, 6, 8, § 69; Quint. 10, 1, 67; cf.: quid prius illustrem satiris Musaque pedestri? Hor. S. 2, 6, 17; Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 91.