lūcĕo, xi, 2, v. n. [Sanscr. ruk, to be bright; Gr. λύχνος, λευκός, ἀμφιλύκη; Lat. lux, lumen, lucidus, luna; O. H.-Germ. liŏht; Germ. Licht; cf. also illustris], to be light or clear, to shine, beam, glitter (syn.: splendeo, fulgeo).
I Lit.: (lumen) Nihilo minus ipsi lucet, Enn. ap. Cic. Off. 1, 16, 51 (Trag. v. 389 Vahl.): tum candida lumina lucent, id. ap. Fest. p. 228 and 229 Müll. (Ann. v. 157 Vahl.): (stella) luce lucebat aliena, Cic. Rep. 4, 16, 16: dum meus assiduo luceat igne focus, Tib. 1, 1, 6: lucet igne rogus, Ov. H. 11, 104: rara per occultos lucebat semita calles, Verg. A. 9, 383: lucet via longo Ordine flammarum, id. ib. 11, 143; cf. Prop. 2, 14 (3, 6), 17: interior caeli qua semita lucet, Stat. Th. 9, 641: (luminaria) lucent in firmamento caeli, Vulg. Gen. 1, 15: niveo lucet in ore rubor, Ov. Am. 3, 3, 6: lucent oculi, id. M. 1, 239; Val. Fl. 6, 492: cinis in multam noctem pertinaciter luxit, Suet. Tib. 74: virgatis lucent sagulis (sc. Galli), glitter , Verg. A. 8, 660: taedā lucebis in illa, i. e. shall burn , Juv. 1, 155: non amplius erit sol ad lucendum, Vulg. Isa. 60, 19.—In the part. pres. : e rosea sol alte lampade lucens, Lucr. 5, 610; so, globus lunae, Verg. A. 6, 725: faces, Ov. F. 3, 270: sedebat In solio Phoebus claris lucente smaragdis, id. M. 2, 24: lucerna lucens in caliginoso loco, Vulg. 2 Pet. 1, 19.—Poet., with acc.: huic lucebis novae nuptae facem, will light her home with a torch , Plaut. Cas. 1, 30: tute tibi puer es; lautus luces cereum, id. Curc. 1, 1, 9.—
2 Of the day, daylight, etc., to appear, dawn, become light : an umquam lucebit in orbe ille dies, Sil. 16, 91: lucente jam die, Amm. 21, 15, 2.—
β Esp., impers. : lucet, lucebat, etc., it is (was) light, it is (was) day, it is dawning : priusquam lucet, adsunt, Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 115: si lucet lucet: lucet autem, lucet igitur, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 30, 96: si judicatum erit meridie non lucere, id. Att. 1, 1, 1: nondum lucebat, id. Rosc. Am. 34, 97: nec satis lucebat: cum autem luceret, etc., id. Att. 16, 13, a, 1: ubi lucere coepisset, id. Div. 1, 23, 47: expergiscere: lucet hoc, it is light, it is day there (in the sky), Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 63: hoc ... luce lucebit, id. Curc. 1, 3, 26. —
B Transf., to shine or show through , to be discernible, visible (poet.): si qua Arabio lucet bombyce puella, Prop. 2, 2, 25 (2, 3, 15): femineum lucet sic per bombycina corpus, Mart. 8, 68, 7: vitalia lucent, are uncovered , Stat. Th. 8, 525.—
II Trop., to shine forth, to be conspicuous, apparent, clear, evident : nunc imperii nostri splendor illis gentibus lucet, Cic. Imp. Pomp. 14, 41: mea officia et studia, quae parum antea luxerunt, id. Att. 3, 15, 4: cum res ipsa tot, tam claris argumentis luceat, id. Mil. 23, 61: virtus lucet in tenebris, id. Sest. 28, 60: tota oratio lucet, Quint. 8, 5, 29; 9, 1, 19.
VI —Hence, lūcens , entis, P. a., shining, bright, conspicuous : lucentior usus, Mall. Theod. de Metr. 9, 7.