I.to give form to a thing, to shape, form, mould, fashion.
I. Lit. (mostly poet.): “clipeum,” Verg. A. 8, 447: “aream,” Col. 11, 3, 13: “effigiem,” Sil. 17, 525: Martem cerā, Poët. ap. Plin. Ep. 9, 7: “taedas,” Claud. Rapt. Pros. 3, 331.—
II. Trop. (class.).
A. To form an idea of a thing, to represent, sketch, delineate: “di ita ignoti, ut eos ne conjectura quidem informare possimus,” Cic. N. D. 1, 15: “inanium visorum una depulsio est, sive illa cogitatione informantur, sive in quiete,” id. Ac. 2, 16, 51: “virtutem,” id. Fin. 4, 16, 45: “atque ego in summo oratore fingendo talem informabo,” will describe, id. Or. 2, 7: “ad eum (oratorem) incohandum et informandum,” id. ib. 9, 33: “informat adhuc adumbratum indicium filii,” id. Sull. 18, 52.—
B. To inform,instruct,educate (syn.: “instruere, instituere): artes quibus aetas puerilis ad humanitatem informari solet,” Cic. Arch. 3, 4: “animus a natura bene informatus,” formed, id. Off. 1, 4, 13.
