implŭvĭum (inpl-), ĭi, n. [impluo].
- I. Lit., a skylight, the opening in the roof of the atrium in a Roman house through which the smoke issued, so called because it admitted the rain (cf. compluvium): per inpluvium intro spectant, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 4 Brix ad loc.: nescio quis inspectavit per nostrum inpluvium intus apud nos Philocomasium, id. ib. v. 19: per inpluvium huc despexi, id. ib. 2, 3, 16: in alienas tegulas venisse clanculum per inpluvium, Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 41: anguis per inpluvium decidit de tegulis, id. Phorm. 4, 4, 26; cf.: utin’ inpluvium erat induta? Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 43: vincula per impluvium in tegulas subduci, Gell. 10, 15, 8.
- II. Transf.
- A. The square basin in the atrium into which the rain-water was received: si relictum erat in medio ut lucem caperet, deorsum quo impluebat dictum impluvium, susum qua compluebat, compluvium, Varr. L. L. 5, § 161 Müll.; Paul. ex Fest. p. 108 Müll.: rus signa, quae nunc ad impluvium tuum stant, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 23, § 61: columnae ad impluvium, id. ib. 2, 1, 56, § 147.
- B. The uncovered central space in the atrium: palmam enatam in inpluvio suo T. Marcus Figulus nuntiabat, Liv. 43, 13, 6.