LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbfirst conjugation, no passive

coruscō

coruscō (present infinitive coruscāre, perfect active coruscāvī, supine coruscātum)
Classical[kɔˈrʊs.koː]Ecclesiastical[koˈrus.ko]

Meaning

  1. transitiveto shake, brandish, wave, move about
    Haec memorāns prima infēnsum vī corripit ignem sublatāque procul dextrā cōnīxa coruscatMentioning these, she first grasped the deadly fire with violence and with the right hand raised high, brandishes it with effort and throws.29 BCE – 19 BCE, Vergilius, Aeneis 5.641–643
    Exundant dīvīsō vertice flammaeThe flames rush up with a bifurcated top and wave their tips with intermittent light.c. 45 CE – 96 CE, Statius, Thebais 12.431–432
  2. intransitiveuncommonto shake, vibrate, flit
    […]satiātī agnī lūdunt blandēque coruscant.The sated lambs play and gently thrust with the horns.c. 99 BCE – 55 BCE, Lucretius, De rerum natura 2.320
    Tum trepidae inter sē coeunt pinnīsque coruscant[…]Then [the bees] come together in a hurry and vibrate with their wings.c. 37 BCE – 30 BCE, Vergilius, Georgicon 4.73
  3. impersonalpersonalrareto strike or flash lightning
    220 BCE – c. 130 BCE, Marcus Pacuvius, Tragic fragments 45.5Fire strikes amongst clouds, the sky trembles with thunder.
    […]et esse tonitrua inpactōrum ignium plāgās ideōque prōtinus coruscāre igneās nūbium rīmās.[And I agree that] thunderclaps are the blows of fires collided and that for that reason the fiery cracks of clouds flash lightning at once.77 CE – 79 CE, Plinius Maior, Naturalis Historia 2.43.112
  4. figurativelyto flash, coruscate, gleam
    Collūcent calvī: calvōrum cassida candet,The bald are bright: their pate shines, glowing reddish it gleams like the brilliant fullness of the sky.c. 850 CE – 930 CE, Hucbald, Ecloga de calvis 142–143 in Monumenta Germaniae Historica (tome 4, fascicle 1), Paulus de Winterfeld, Berlin 1899, page 271

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

Choosing the right word Döderlein's Latin Synonyms

Lucere · Fulgere · Splendere · Nitere · Renidere · Coruscare · Micare · Radiare

1. Lucere, fulgere, splendere, nitere, denote a steady and continued brightness; fulgere (φλογεῖν) through a glaring light, or a dazzling fiery color, like φλέγω, lucere (from λευκός) through a beneficial light, and a soft fiery color, like φαίνω, φέγγω; splendere (from φάλανθος) as the consequence of a clear and pure light, in opp. to sordere; Cic. Sext. 28. Sen. Ep. 5. Martial, Ep. ii. 36. Tac. A. i. 84. Suet. Aug. 35; like λάμπω; nitere (from νίζω) as the consequence of humidity, oiling or washing, to glisten, in opp. to squalere. Cic. Fin. iv. 3. Orat. 32. Sen. Q. N. i. 17. Quintil. ii. 5, 23; like στίλβω. 2. Whereas coruscare, micare, radiare, mean an unsteady, tremulous light; coruscare (from κορύσσω) to shine like forked lightning; micare, to sparkle, like metal placed in the sun; radiare, to beam, like the shooting rays of the sun. Cic. Cat. ii. 3. qui nitent unguentis, qui fulgent purpura. Auct. ad Herenn. iv. 33. Tantus erat in armis splendor, ut solis fulgor obscurior videretur. Plin. H. N. xxxvii. 2. Splendor murrhinis sine viribus: nitorque verius quam splendor; for splendor denotes brightness, with regard to its intensity; nitor, with regard to its beauty. Auct. ad Herenn. iv. 50. Gemmæ nitore et auri splendore: hence, figuratively, splendor denotes pomp; nitor, only neatness. (ii. 76.)

Conjugation conjugation 1

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.coruscōcoruscābamcoruscābōcoruscāvīcoruscāveramcoruscāverō
2nd sg.coruscāscoruscābāscoruscābiscoruscāvistīcoruscāverāscoruscāveris
3rd sg.coruscatcoruscābatcoruscābitcoruscāvitcoruscāveratcoruscāverit
1st pl.coruscāmuscoruscābāmuscoruscābimuscoruscāvimuscoruscāverāmuscoruscāverimus
2nd pl.coruscātiscoruscābātiscoruscābitiscoruscāvistiscoruscāverātiscoruscāveritis
3rd pl.coruscantcoruscābantcoruscābuntcoruscāvērunt
coruscāvēre		coruscāverantcoruscāverint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.coruscemcoruscāremcoruscāverimcoruscāvissem
2nd sg.coruscēscoruscārēscoruscāverīscoruscāvissēs
3rd sg.coruscetcoruscāretcoruscāveritcoruscāvisset
1st pl.coruscēmuscoruscārēmuscoruscāverīmuscoruscāvissēmus
2nd pl.coruscētiscoruscārētiscoruscāverītiscoruscāvissētis
3rd pl.coruscentcoruscārentcoruscāverintcoruscāvissent
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.coruscā—
pres. 2nd pl.coruscāte—
fut. 2nd sg.coruscātō—
fut. 3rd sg.coruscātō—
fut. 2nd pl.coruscātōte—
fut. 3rd pl.coruscantō—
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivecoruscāre—
perfect infinitivecoruscāvisse—
future infinitivecoruscātūrum esse—
present participlecoruscāns—
future participlecoruscātūrus
coruscātūra, coruscātūrā, coruscātūrae, coruscātūram, coruscātūrārum, coruscātūrās, coruscātūre, coruscātūrī, coruscātūrīs, coruscātūrō, coruscātūrōrum, coruscātūrōs, coruscātūrum		—
gerundcoruscandī, coruscandō, coruscandumsupinecoruscātum, coruscātū

cŏrusco, āre, v. a. and n. (the access. form conisco is found in some copies of Lucr. 2, 320, and Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 8, 3, 21) [root scar-, to leap; Gr. σκαίρω; cf. also κορύσσω; v. Lidd. and Scott, s. v.].
I. To thrust or push with the horns (very rare): agni ludunt blandeque coruscant, Lucr. 2, 320: frontem, Juv. 12, 6: caput opponis cum eo coruscans, Cic. Fragm. ap. Quint. 8, 3, 21.—
II. Transf., to move quickly, to vibrate, shake, brandish, wave, tremble, etc. (poet.).
(a). Act.: duo Gaesa manu, Verg. A. 8, 661: hastam, id. ib. 12, 431: telum, id. ib. 12, 887; Sil. 1, 434: ferrum, Val. Fl. 2, 228 al.: linguas (colubrae), Ov. M. 4, 494: alternos apices (flammae), Stat. Th. 12, 432.—
(b). Neutr., to flit, flutter, shake: apes pennis coruscant, Verg. G. 4, 73: abies, trembles, Juv. 3, 254.—
B. In partic., of the tremulous motion of fire, lightning, or brilliant bodies, to flash, glitter, gleam, coruscate: flamma inter nubes coruscat, Pac. ap. Cic. de Or. 3, 39, 157: elucent aliae (apes) et fulgore coruscant, Verg. G. 4, 98: Juppiter arce, Val. Fl. 5, 304: telisque salum facibusque coruscat, id. 1, 703: coruscans clipeus, Claud. III. Cons. Hon. 29 al.

Origins

Related to coruscus (“vibrating, flashing”). Of uncertain origin according to the TLL; perhaps related to Ancient Greek κορύσσω (korússō, “equip with helmet”) and κορύπτω (korúptō, “headbutt”). Compare Ancient Greek σκαίρω (skaírō, “hop, dance”), ἀσκαρίζω (askarízō, “throb”), σκιρτάω (skirtáō, “leap, bound”).

Descendants
  • Englishcoruscate
  • Italiancorruscare
  • Spanishcoruscar
  • Galiciancoriscar

Quick answers

What does coruscō mean in Latin?
coruscō, a verb, means “to shake, brandish, wave, move about; to shake, vibrate, flit; to strike or flash lightning”.
What are the principal parts of coruscō?
coruscō, coruscāre, coruscāvī, coruscātum (first conjugation, no passive).
How do you pronounce coruscō?
In classical Latin, [kɔˈrʊs.koː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [koˈrus.ko].