Lewis & Short

lectĭo, ōnis, f. [lego].

  1. I. A gathering, collecting.
    1. A. In gen. (post-Aug. and rare): lectio lapidum, Col. 2, 2, 12: florum, Arn. 5, 173.
    2. * B. In partic., a picking out, selecting: judicum, Cic. Phil. 5, 6, 16.
  2. II. A reading, perusal; a reading out, reading aloud.
    1. A. Lit.
      1. 1. In gen.: delectabatur lectione librorum, Cic. Ac. 2, 2, 4: lectio sine ulla delectatione, id. Tusc. 2, 3, 7: versuum, Quint. 1, 8, 2: non cruda, sed multa iteratione mollita et velut confecta, id. 10, 1, 19: continua, id. 11, 2, 34; cf. id. 1, cap. 8 and 10, cap. 1 passim.
      2. 2. In partic.: lectio senatūs, a reading off or calling over the names of the senators; this was done by the censor, who at the same time struck the unworthy ones from the list: infamis atque invidiosa senatus lectio, Liv. 9, 29; 27, 11; Suet. Aug. 35.
    2. B. Transf. (abstr. pro contr.), that which is read, reading, text (post-class.): lectio tamen docet, eo tempore solitos, etc., Macr. S. 7, 7, 5: haec sunt quae lectio pontificalis habet, id. ib. 7, 13, 11 fin.: juris lectiones, passages of the laws, Cod. Just. 6, 61, 5: ubi lectio aliqua falsitate notata est, Isid. 1, 20, 3; so, pervulgati juris, Amm. 30, 4, 18: datā lectione quae non sit intellectu difficilis, Cael. Aur. Tard. 1, 5, 163: quia Moyses prius hoc statuit, sicut lectio manifestat, Mos. et Rom. Leg. Coll. 7, 1 prooem.