stello, no perf., ātum, 1, v. n. and a. [stella].
- I. Neutr., to be set or covered with stars. So only in the part. pres. stellans, antis, bestarred, starry (poet.): caelo stellante, Lucr. 4, 212; so, caelum, Verg. A. 7, 210: tecta summi patris, Val. Fl. 5, 623: Olympus, Cic. poët. Div. 1, 12, 19: nox, id. ib. 1, 11, 18: ora Tauri, Ov. F. 5, 603.
- B. Transf.: gemmis caudam (pavonis) stellantibus implet, glittering, shining, Ov. M. 1, 723: tegmina (i. e. vestes), gleaming, Val. Fl. 3, 98: lumina (i. e. oculi), id. ib. 2, 499: volatus (cicindelarum), Plin. 18, 26, 66, § 250: frons, covered as it were with stars, Mart. 2, 29, 9: universa armis stellantibus coruscabant, Amm. 19, 1, 2.
- II. Act., to set or cover with stars; in the verb. finit. only post-Aug. and very rare (cf. part. infra): quis caelum stellet fomes, Mart. Cap. poët. 2, § 118 (al. qui caelum stellet formis, Gron. p. 29): (gemmae) stellarum Hyadum et numero et dispositione stellantur, are set with stars, Plin. 37, 7, 28, § 100.
Trop.: ipsa vero pars materiae digna laudari quanto verborum stellatur auro, Symm. Ep. 3, 11.
Part. and P. a.: stellātus, a, um, set with stars, starry, stellate, starred (class.): stellatus Cepheus, i. e. placed in the heavens as a constellation, * Cic. Tusc. 5, 3, 8: aether, Val. Fl. 2, 42: domus (deorum), Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 8; cf. id. Cons. Hon. 4, 209.
- B. Transf.: stellatus Argus, i. e. many-eyed, Ov. M. 1, 664; Stat. Th. 6, 277: jaspide fulvā Ensis, sparkling, glittering, Verg. A. 4, 261: variis stellatus corpora guttis, thickly set, Ov. M. 5, 461: gemma auratis guttis, Plin. 37, 10, 66, § 179: animal stellatum, id. 10, 67, 86, § 188: vela, id. 19, 1, 6, § 24: stellatis axibus agger, star-shaped, Sil. 13, 109; Luc. 3, 455.