trans-fĭgūro

trans-fĭgūro, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a., to change in shape, to transform, transfigure, metamorphose (post-Aug.; cf.: verto, muto).

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.—

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.—

Esp.

With se, to assume to be, pretend to be:

transfigurantes se in apostolos,

Vulg. 2 Cor. 11, 13.—

To express under a figure of speech:

haec transfiguravi in me et Apollo propter vos,

Vulg. 1 Cor. 4, 6.