nimbus, i (gen. plur. nimbūm, Pac. ap. Trag. Rel. 412 Rib.), m. Sanscr. nabhas, cloud, vapor; Gr. νέφος, νεφέλη; cf.: nubes, nebula, a violent or pouring rain, a rain-storm. Lit.: terra abit in nimbos imbremque, Lucil. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 24 Müll.: nec nubila nimbis aspergunt, Lucr. 3, 19: terrere animos fulminibus, tempestatibus, nimbis, nivibus, grandinibus, Cic. N. D. 2, 5, 14: denso regem operuit nimbo, Liv. 1, 16: cum multo stillaret paenula nimbo, Juv. 5, 79.— Transf. A black rain-cloud, a thunder-cloud: noctisque et nimbūm occaecat nigror, Pac. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 14, 24, and de Or. 3, 39, 157: involvere diem nimbi, Verg. A. 3, 198; so id. ib. 3, 587; Stat. Th. 1, 97.— A cloud in general. So the bright cloud or cloudshaped splendor which enveloped the gods when they appeared on earth: proprie nimbus est, qui deorum vel imperantium capita quasi clara nebula ambire fingitur, Serv. Verg. A. 3, 585: nimbo succincta, Verg. A. 10, 634: nimbo effulgens, id. ib. 2, 616: nube candentes umeros amictus Augur Apollo, Hor. C. 1, 2, 31.—Hence, in eccl. Lat., of a saint's aureole, Isid. 19, 31, 2.— A cloud of smoke, dust, etc.: respiciunt atram in nimbo volitare favillam, Verg. A. 5, 666: fulvae nimbus harenae, id. G. 3, 110: pulveris, Claud. in Rufin. 2, 176.— A head-band, frontlet, worn by females to make the forehead appear small, acc. to Isid. Orig. 19, 31 (in Arn. 2, 72, the correct reading is not nimbis, but limbis; v. limbus).— Like the Engl. cloud, of a multitude of things which spread out like a cloud: nimbus peditum, Verg. A. 7, 793: pilorum, Sil. 5, 215: telorum, Luc. 4, 776: velut nimbum glandis et sagittas ingerebant, Liv. 36, 18, 5: lapidum saxorumque, Flor. 3, 8, 4: Corycius, i. e. of saffron, Mart. 9, 39, 5: et Cilices nimbis hic maduere suis, id. Spect. 3, 8: lucerna nimbis ebria Nicerotianis, full of perfumed unguents, id. ib. 10, 38, 8: purpureus, a great quantity of flowers, Claud. Nupt. Honor. et Mar. 298.— A vessel with many holes in it, used at public shows and at entertainments for sprinkling liquid perfumes: nimbus vitreus, Mart. 14, 112 in lemm.—* Trop., a storm, tempest, i. e. sudden misfortune: hunc quidem nimbum cito transisse laetor, Cic. Att. 15, 9, 2.