Lewis & Short

ex-āmen, ĭnis, n. [for ex-agmen, from ex and ago; cf. contamino and contagies, flamen and flagrare].

  1. I. A multitude issuing forth or flying out, a swarm. Primarily and class. of a swarm of bees: res rusticae laetae sunt tum pecudum pastu, apium examinibus, florum omnium varietate, Cic. de Sen. 15 fin.; so, apium, id. Off. 1, 44, 157; id. Div. 1, 33 fin.; Liv. 4, 33 et saep.; cf. Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 29; Col. 9, 3 fin.; 9, 4 fin. et saep.; Plin. 11, 10, 10, § 23; Verg. G. 2, 452; 4, 21; 103 et saep.
    1. B. Transf., a multitude, crowd, shoal, swarm (freq. only after the Aug. per.): locustarum, Liv. 42, 10: piscium, Plin. 31, 1, 1, § 2: pullorum (arboris), Lucr. 5, 1364: juvenum, Hor. C. 1, 35, 31: infantium, Plin. Pan. 26, 1; cf. Just. 25, 2 fin.: vernarum, Hor. Epod. 2, 65; cf. servorum, Cic. Harusp. Resp. 12, 25: Graium vatum, Stat. S. 5, 3, 284: stuprorum (i. e. feminarum stupratarum), Prop. 2, 32, 41 (3, 30, 41 M.) et saep.
      In late Lat. even of abstract things: malorum, Arn. 2, p. 46: maerorum, id. fin.: aetatum, Amm. 21, 5: dilationum, id. 30, 4 et saep.
  2. II. A means of examining; hence, the tongue of a balance (very rare): examen est ligula vel lignum, quod mediam hastam ad pondera adaequanda tenet, Schol. Pers. 1, 6; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 80, 14: Juppiter ipse duas aequato examine lances Sustinet, Verg. A. 12, 725; Cod. Theod. 12, 7, 1.
    1. B. Trop., a weighing, consideration, examination: examenve improbum in illa Castiges trutina, Pers. 1, 6: legum, Ov. M. 9, 552; cf. vitae, Stat. S. 3, 3, 203.