Lewis & Short

fulgeo, fulsi, 2 (ante-class. and poet. form acc. to the third conj.: fulgit, Lucil. and Pompon. ap. Non. 506, 8 and 9; Lucr. 5, 768 Lachm. N. cr.; 6, 160; 174; 214; fulgĕre, Pac., Att., Lucil. ap. Non. 506, 17 sq.; Lucr. 5, 1095; 6, 165; Verg. A. 6, 826; Val. Fl. 8, 284 al.; cf. Sen. Q. N. 2, 56), v. n. [Sanscr, bhrāg’, to glow, gleam; Gr. φλέγω, φλεγέθω, to burn, φλόξ, flame; Lat. fulgur, fulmen, fulvus, flagrare, flamma, flāmen, Curt. Gr. Etym. p. 187], to flash, to lighten (syn.: fulguro, splendeo, luceo).

  1. I. Lit.: si fulserit, si tonuerit, si tactum aliquid erit de caelo, Cic. Div. 2, 72, 149: cum aestate vehementius tonuit quam fulsit, Plin. 18. 35, 81, § 354; Mel. 1, 19, 1; Lucr. 6, 160; 165: Jove fulgente cum populo agi nefas esse, Cic. Vatin. 8, 20; cf.: Jove fulgente, tonante … caelo fulgente, tonante, id. N. D. 2, 25, 65; v. fulguro: tremulo tempestas impete fulgit, Lucr. 6, 174: fulsere ignes et aether, Verg. A. 4, 167: picei fulsere poli, Val. Fl. 1, 622.
    1. * B. Trop., of the vivid oratory of Pericles: qui (Pericles) si tenui genere uteretur, numquam ab Aristophane poëta fulgere, tonare, permiscere Graeciam dictus esset, Cic. Or. 9, 29 (acc. to Aristoph. Acharn. 530 sq.: Περικλέης Οὐλύμπιος Ἤστραπτεν, ἐβρόντα, ξυνεκύκα τὴν Ἑλλάδα); cf.: fulgurare ac tonare, Quint. 2, 16, 19.
  2. II. Transf., to flash, glitter, gleam, glare, glisten, shine (syn. splendeo).
    1. A. Lit.: qui nitent unguentis, qui fulgent purpurā, Cic. Cat. 2, 3, 5: marmorea tecta ebore et auro fulgentia, id. Par. 1, 3, 13: fulgentia signis castra, Hor. C. 1, 7, 19: qui caelum versat stellis fulgentibus aptum, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 30 Vahl.); so id. ib. (Ann. v. 162 ib.): caelo fulgebat luna sereno, Hor. Epod. 15, 1; cf. id. C. 2, 16, 3; Ov. M. 2, 722: fulgens contremuit domus Saturni (i. e. caelum), Hor. C. 2, 12, 8: micantes fulsere gladii, Liv. 1, 25, 4; cf.: fulgente decorus arcu Phoebus, Hor. Carm. Sec. 61: felium in tenebris fulgent radiantque oculi, Plin. 11, 37, 55, § 151: fulgentes oculi, Hor. C. 2, 12, 15: fulgentes Cycladae (on account of their marble), id. ib. 3, 28, 14 (for which: nitentes Cycladae, id. ib. 1, 14, 19): stet Capitolium fulgens (corresp. to lucidae sedes Olympi), id. ib. 3, 3, 43: argenti quod erat solis fulgebat in armis, Juv. 11, 108.
    2. B. Trop., to shine, glitter; be conspicuous, illustrious (rare and mostly poet.): (virtus) Intaminatis fulget honoribus, Hor. C. 3, 2, 18: indoles virtutis jam in adulescentulo, Nep. Eum. 1, 4: quondam nobili fulsi patre, Sen. Med. 209: fulgens imperio fertilis Africae, Hor. C. 3, 16, 31: fulgens sacerdotio, Tac. H. 4, 42: quae sanguine fulget Juli, Juv. 8, 42.
      Hence, ful-gens, entis, P. a., shining, glittering; in a trop. sense, illustrious.
      Comp.:       fulgentior, Sen. Ep. 115, 4.
      Sup.: Messala fulgentissimus juvenis, Vell. 2, 71, 1: opus Caesaris, id. 2, 39, 1: (M. Tullius) fulgentissimo et caelesti ore, id. 2, 64, 3: duo fulgentissima cognomina patris et patrui, Val. Max. 3, 5, 1.
      Adv.: fulgenter, glitteringly, resplendently.
      1. 1. Lit.: quia sic fulgentius radiant, Plin. 10, 20, 22, § 43.
      2. 2. Trop.: fulgentius instrui poterat luxuria, certe innocentius, Plin. 22, 2, 3, § 4.