rĭgĕo, ēre, v. n. [prob. kindr. with ῥιγέω, frigeo], to be stiff or numb; to stiffen (syn.: concresco, conglacio).
I Lit. (class.).
1 With cold : frigore, Lucr. 3, 891; Cic. Tusc. 1, 28, 69 (opp. uri calore): gelu, Liv. 21, 32; Plin. Ep. 5, 6, 30; id. Pan. 82, 5: prata rigent, Hor. C. 4, 12, 3: stagnum, Col. 8, 17, 2: corpora omnibus, Liv. 21, 54; cf. poet.: horridus December, Mart. 7, 95.—
2 Of any physical stiffness: gelido comae terrore rigebant, stood on end , bristled up , Ov. M. 3, 100; so, ora indurata, id. ib. 14, 503: ardua cervix (with horrent setae), id. ib. 8, 284: cerealia dona rigent, i. e. are hardened into gold , id. ib. 11, 122: vestes auroque ostroque, are stiff , stand out , Verg. A. 11, 72; cf.: terga boum plumbo insuto ferroque, id. ib. 5, 405: manicae ex auro, Sil. 4, 155: signa, Lucr. 5, 1427.—
II Poet., transf., to stand stiff or upright : (pars summa scopuli) riget, Ov. M. 4, 526; 6, 573: late riget Tmolus, id. ib. 11, 150: sine frondibus arbos, id. ib. 13, 691: illitterati num minus nervi rigent? Hor. Epod. 8, 17.—
III Trop., to remain unmoved , inert (very rare): feritas immota riget, Mart. 5, 31, 5.
VI —Hence, rĭgens , entis, P. a., stiff , inflexible , rigid , unbending (mostly post-class.).
1 Lit.: secui madidas ungue rigente genas, Ov. H. 5, 72: lorica ex aere, Verg. A. 8, 621: aqua, i. e. frozen , Mart. 14, 117: pars mundi ipsis aquilonis conceptaculis rigentissima, Sol. 15: caput (with praedurum), rigid , Quint. 11, 3, 69; cf. id. 2, 13, 9: interque rigentes (partes terrae), Tib. 3, 7, 165: gelu flumina, Plin. Pan. 82, 5.—
2 Trop., stubborn , inflexible , unyielding : animus, Sen. Hippol. 413; cf.: vir tot malis, id. Thyest. 304.