Illustro, illustras, illustrâre. Varro. To make light or cleare: to make famous or well knowne: to sette foorth that which is hid: to declare: to make manifest or plaine.Ab sole toto die illustratur. Varto. The sunne lyeth on it all the day long.Angustis illustratum fenestris. Colum. Hauing light by narrowe windowes.Auri fulgore collucere atque illustrari templum oportebar.Cic. Illustrare amplitudinem alicuius.Cic.To commende or set foorth ones nobleuesse, and make it renowmed. Illustrare dubia perspicuis.Cic.By euident things to make manifest those that be doubtfull.Patefacere & illostrare obscura.Cic.To open and declare.Distinguere & illustrare orationem.Cic.Illustrare philosophiam Latinis literis.Cic.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
illustro (inl-), āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. [illustris], to light up, make light, illuminate (class.; esp. freq. in the trop. signif.). I.Lit.: o, qua sol habitabiles Illustrat oras, maxime principum?Hor. C. 4, 14, 6: placida nocte leniter illustrante stellas, Plin. 2, 18, 16, 80: ergastulum angustis illustratum fenestris, Col. 1, 6, 3 (but Cic. Rep. 6, 17, read lustret).—II.Trop. (acc. to illustris, II. A. and B.). A.To make clear to the mind, to clear up, elucidate, illustrate, explain: ut ea consilia, quae clam essent inita contra salutem urbis, illustrarentur, Cic. Cat. 3, 8, 20; cf.: illustrantur, erumpunt omnia, id. ib. 1, 3, 6; id. Rep. 2, 18; Lucr. 1, 137: omnia illustrata, patefacta, comperta sunt per me, Cic. Cat. 3, 1, 3; 3, 9, 21; cf.: si modo id patefactum et illustratum est, id. Lael. 26, 97; and: jus obscurum et ignotum patefacere et illustrare, id. de Or. 1, 39, 177: philosophiam veterem Latinis litteris illustrare, id. Ac. 1, 1, 3; cf. id. Brut. 64, 228: illustrant eam (orationem) quasi stellae quaedam translata verba atque immutata,
place in the right light
,
embellish
,
set off
,
adorn
, id. Or. 27, 92; cf. id. Inv. 2, 15, 49: de illustranda oratione ut diceres, id. de Or. 3, 36, 144: orationem, Quint. 4, 3, 4; 8, 6, 14; 11, 1, 2.—B.To render famous, renowned, illustrious: aliquem laudibus, Luccei. ap. Cic. Fam. 5, 14, 1: quem Brutus cognomine suo illustravit, Plin. 34, 8, 19, 82: familiam, Suet. Galb. 3: illustrabit, mihi crede, tuam amplitudinem hominum injuria, Cic. Fam. 1, 6, 2: humilius genus illustrasse factis, Quint. 3, 7, 10: summa quibus illustratur forum ingenia, id. 10, 1, 122; cf.: Padus poenā Phaëthontis illustratus, Plin. 3, 16, 20, 117: vina maxime illustrata Messalae potu et salute, id. 14, 6, 8, 69; Quint. 10, 1, 67; cf.: quid prius illustrem satiris Musaque pedestri?Hor. S. 2, 6, 17; Plin. 35, 10, 36, 91.