Lewis & Short

2. dēlectus or dīlectus (so often in best MSS., and adopted by Halm in Quint. and Cic., Weissenb. in Liv., Dietsch in Sall., and by Brambach, etc.; but Bait. and Kay. in Cic., Dinter and Nipperdey in Caes., delectus), ūs, m. [1. deligo], a choosing or picking out, a selecting; a selection, choice, distinction (freq. and class.).

  1. I. In gen.: utrimque tibi nunc dilectum para, Plaut. Ps. 1, 3, 157: mihi quidem etiam lautius videtur, quod eligitur, et ad quod delectus adhibetur, Cic. Fin. 5, 30, 90: earum rerum hic tenetur a sapiente delectus, ut, etc. (shortly before: cum soluta nobis est eligendi optio), id. ib. 1, 10, 33: in hoc verborum genere propriorum delectus est quidam habendus, id. de Or. 3, 37, 150; so, verborum, Caes. ap. Cic. Brut. 72, 253; Quint. 12, 9, 6; cf.: rerum verborumque agendus, id. 10, 3, 5: verbis delectum adhibere, Tac. Or. 22: cujus (εὐφωνίας) in eo dilectus est, ut, etc., Quint. 1, 5, 4: judicum, Cic. Phil. 5, 5, 13: omnium rerum delectum atque discrimen pecunia sustulisset, id. Verr. 2, 2, 50; so with discrimen, id. Fin. 4, 25, 69: magnus hominum et dignitatum, id. Rep. 1, 34: dignitatis, id. Clu. 46; id. Off. 1, 14, 45: acceptorum beneficiorum sunt delectus habendi, id. ib. 1, 15, 49: non delectu aliquo aut sapientia ducitur ad judicandum, id. Planc. 4: sine ullo delectu, sine populi Rom. notione, sine judicio senatus, id. Agr. 2, 21 fin.; cf. Ov. M. 10, 325; and on the contrary, cum delectu, making a selection, Plin. 7, 53, 54, § 180; Plin. Ep. 2, 13, 18.
  2. II. Milit. t. t., a levy, a recruiting: per legatos delectum habere, Caes. B. G. 6, 1; so, delectum habere, a standing phrase for recruiting, id. ib. 7, 1; id. B. C. 1, 2; 1, 6; Cic. Phil. 5, 12; Sall. C. 36, 3; Liv. 2, 28; Tac. A. 13, 35 al.; cf. the postAug. agere, Quint. 12, 3, 5; Plin. 7, 29, 30, § 107; Tac. H. 2, 16; Suet. Calig. 43 al.: conficere, Liv. 25, 5: quas (legiones) ex novo delectu confecerat, Caes. B. C. 1, 25: exercitus superbissimo delectu collectus, Cic. Prov. Cons. 2 fin.: provincialis, made in the province, provincial, id. Fam. 15, 1 fin.: in bella, Plin. 6, 19, 22, § 66.
    1. B. Meton. (abstr. pro concreto), the men levied, a levy: e Britannico delectu octo milia sibi adjunxit, Tac. H. 2, 57.