trans-fĭgūro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to change in shape, to transform, transfigure, metamorphose (post-Aug.; cf.: verto, muto).
I Lit.: puerum in muliebrem naturam, Suet. Ner. 28: in simiae speciem transfiguratus, id. ib. 46: in lupum, Plin. 8, 22, 34, § 81: in scorpiones, id. 9, 31, 51, § 99: in pumicem (al. mutantur), id. 13, 25, 50, § 139: et qui corpora prima transfigurat, i. e. Ovid in the Metamorphoses , Stat. S. 2, 7, 78: amygdalae ex dulcibus transfigurantur in amaras, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 237: aede Castoris et Pollucis in vestibulum transfigurata, Suet. Calig. 22; Vulg. Matt. 17, 2; id. Marc. 9, 1. —With se : Satanas transfigurat se in angelum lucis. Vulg. 2 Cor. 11, 14.—
II Trop., to change , transform : judicum animos in eum quem volumus habitum formare et velut transfigurare, Quint. 6, 2, 1: intellego, non emendari me tantum, sed transfigurari, Sen. Ep. 6, 1.—
B Esp.
1 With se , to assume to be , pretend to be : transfigurantes se in apostolos, Vulg. 2 Cor. 11, 13.—
2 To express under a figure of speech : haec transfiguravi in me et Apollo propter vos, Vulg. 1 Cor. 4, 6.