I. Lit., a skylight, the opening in the roof of the atrium in a Roman house through which the smoke issued, so called because it admitted the rain (cf. compluvium): “per inpluvium intro spectant,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 4 Brix ad loc.: “nescio quis inspectavit per nostrum inpluvium intus apud nos Philocomasium,” id. ib. v. 19: “per inpluvium huc despexi,” id. ib. 2, 3, 16: “in alienas tegulas venisse clanculum per inpluvium,” Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 41: “anguis per inpluvium decidit de tegulis,” id. Phorm. 4, 4, 26; cf.: “utin' inpluvium erat induta?” Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 43: “vincula per impluvium in tegulas subduci,” Gell. 10, 15, 8.—
II. Transf.
A. The square basin in the atrium into which the rain-water was received: si relictum erat in medio ut lucem caperet, deorsum quo impluebat dictum impluvium, susum qua compluebat, compluvium, Varr. L. L. 5, § 161 Müll.; Paul. ex Fest. p. 108 Müll.: “rus signa, quae nunc ad impluvium tuum stant,” Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 23, § 61: “columnae ad impluvium,” id. ib. 2, 1, 56, § 147.—