vestĭo, īvi or ĭi, ītum, 4 (imperf. vestibat, Verg. A. 8, 160; inf. vestirier, Prud. Psych. 39), v. a. [vestis], to cover with a garment, to dress, clothe, vest (syn.: induo, amicio).
I Lit.: Vatinii strumam sacerdotii διβάφὡ vestiant, Cic. Att. 2, 9, 2: vir te vestiat, tu virum despolies, Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 4: candide vestitus, id. ib. 4, 1, 10: vos tam maestiter vestitas, id. Rud. 1, 5, 7: homines male vestiti, Cic. Pis. 25, 61: fasciae, quibus crura vestiuntur, Quint. 11, 3, 144: te bis Afro Murice tinctae Vestiunt lanae, Hor. C. 2, 16, 37: sic Indos suae arbores vestiunt, Plin. 12, 11, 22, § 39: Phrygiā vestitur bucca tiarā, Juv. 6, 516: unam vestire tribum tua vellera possunt, Mart. 2, 46, 5.—Mid.: vestiri in foro honeste mos erat, Cato ap. Gell. 11, 2, 5: lino alii vestiuntur aut lanis, Mel. 3, 7, 3.—So, in late Lat., in the active form: tu mihi vitio dabis, quod parcius pasco, levius vestio, am clothed , Ap. Mag. p. 287, 26; Tert. Pall. 1.—
B Transf.
1 Of animals: animantes aliae coriis tectae sunt, aliae villis vestitae, Cic. N. D. 2, 47, 121: sandyx pascentis vestiet agnos, Verg. E. 4, 45: pleraque contra frigus ex suo corpore vestiuntur, Quint. 2, 16, 14.—
2 In gen., of inanimate things, to clothe , cover , deck , array , attire , surround , adorn , etc.: campos lumine (aether), Verg. A. 6, 640: natura oculos membranis tenuissimis vestivit et saepsit, Cic. N. D. 2, 57, 142; cf.: deus animum circumdedit corpore et vestivit extrinsecus, id. Univ. 6 fin. : sepulcrum saeptum undique et vestitum vepribus et dumetis, id. Tusc. 5, 23, 64: his tabulis templi parietes vestiebantur, id. Verr. 2, 4, 55, § 122.—
3 Esp., of vegetation: montes silvis, Liv. 32, 13, 3: vite hederāque vestiti montes, Just. 12, 7, 7.— Absol. : montes vestiti, i. e. covered with verdure , Cic. N. D. 2, 53, 132: trabes multo aggere, Caes. B. G. 7, 23; cf. of the beard: molli lanugine malas, Lucr. 5, 889: genas flore, Verg. A. 8, 160: oleā magnum Taburnum, Verg. G. 2, 38: gramine vestitis accubuere toris, Ov. F. 1, 402: incendit vestitos messibus agros, id. ib. 4, 707; Curt. 6, 5, 15; Prop. 3, 13 (4, 12), 31: ubi se vites frondibus vestierint, Col. 4, 27, 1: se gramine (terra), Verg. G. 2, 219.—
II Trop., to clothe , etc.: reconditas exquisitasque sententias mollis et pellucens vestiebat oratio, Cic. Brut. 79, 274: inventa vestire atque ornare oratione, id. de Or. 1, 31, 142: gloriā aliquem supra vires, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 22: res, quae illo verborum habitu vestiuntur, Quint. 8, praef. § 20; cf. of mental culture: aridum atque jejunum non alemus et quasi vestiemus? id. 2, 8, 9.—
B Esp., to invest with the imperial purple, to make emperor : quaere quem vestias, Amm. 26, 4, 1.
VIII —Hence, vestītus , a, um, P. a., clothed , clad (very rare): neque unā pelle vestitior fuit (Hercules), Ap. Mag. p. 288, 28.—So comp. , Tert. Anim. 38.— Sup. : id pecus (oves) ex omnibus animalibus vestitissimum, Col. 7, 3, 8.