gelo, āvi, ātum, 1, v. a. and n. gelu. Act., to cause to freeze, to congeal.

—Pass., to be frozen, to freeze. In gen.: si gelent frigora, quarto die premendam (olivam), Plin. 15, 6, 6, § 21: fluvius, qui ferrum gelat, Mart. 1, 50, 12.

—Pass.: quae (alvearia fictilia) et accenduntur aestatis vaporibus et gelantur hiemis frigoribus (shortly before: nec hieme rigent, nec candent aestate), Col. 9, 6, 2.

—Esp. freq. in the part. perf.: amnes gelati lacusque, Plin. 8, 28, 42, § 103: lac, Col. poet. 10, 397: caseus, id. 7, 8, 7: manus Aquilone, Mart. 5, 9, 3.

— In partic., to freeze, chill, stiffen with fright, horror, etc.; in pass., to be frozen, chilled; to be numbed or stiff (cf.: gelu and gelidus): gelat ora pavor, Stat. Th. 4, 497: timent pavidoque gelantur Pectore, Juv. 6, 95: sic fata gelatis Vultibus, Stat. Th. 4, 404: gelato corde attonitus, Luc. 7, 339: gelati orbes (i. e. oculi emortui), id. 6, 541.

— Neutr., to freeze: pruinae perniciosior natura, quoniam lapsa persidet gelatque, Plin. 17, 24, 37, § 222: venae, Stat. Th. 4, 727: vultus Perseos, i. e. to be petrified, Luc. 9, 681.

—Impers.: non ante demetuntur quam gelaverit, Plin. 14, 3, 4, § 39; Vulg. Sir. 43, 21.