Lewis & Short

mūnus (old orthogr. moenus; moenera militiaï, Lucr. 1, 29), ĕris, n. [root mu-; cf.: moenia, munis, munia, etc.], a service, office, post, employment, function, duty (class.; syn.: officium, ministerium, honos).

  1. I. Lit.: munus significat officium, cum dicitur quis munere fungi. Item donum quod officii causā datur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 140 Müll. (cf. infra): munus curare, to discharge an office, Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 76: octo munus hominum fungi, id. Men. 1, 4, 5: administrare, Ter. Ad. 5, 1, 2: munus atque officium, Cic. Font. 7, 15: rei publicae, a public office, id. de Or. 1, 45, 199: belli, Liv. 24, 35: de jure respondendi sustinere, Cic. Brut. 30, 113: rei publicae explere, id. Prov. Cons. 14, 35: vigiliarum obire, to perform, Liv. 3, 6: officii, the performance of a duty, Cic. Sen. 11, 35: tuum est hoc munus, tuae partes: a te hoc civitas exspectat, duty, office, obligation, id. Fam. 11, 5, 3: principum est resistere levitati multitudinis, id. Mil. 8, 22: vitae, id. Sen. 11, 35: senectutis, id. Leg. 1, 3, 10.
    1. B. Esp., = onus, a duty, burden, tribute: cum hoc munus imponebatur tam grave civitati, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 20, § 51: id quoque munus leve atque commune Mamertinis remisisti, id. ib. 2, 5, 21, § 52: dum ne quis eorum munere vacaret, Liv. 25, 7, 4: non enim detractionem eam munerum militiae, sed apertam defectionem esse, id. 27, 9, 9.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A work: majorum vigiliarum munus, Cic. Par. prooem.: solitudinis, a work, book, written in solitude, id. Off. 3, 1, 4.
    2. B. A service, favor: huc ire licet atque illuc munere ditium dominorum, Sall. Orat. Licin.; Cic. Fam. 10, 11, 1.
      1. 2. In partic., the last service, office to the dead, i. e. burial: pro hominis dignitate amplo munere extulit, Nep. Eum. 4, 4 (dub.; al. funere): suprema, Verg. A. 11, 25: supremum mortis, Cat. 101, 3: debita, Val. Fl. 3, 313: fungi inani Munere, Verg. A. 6, 885: cineri haec mittite nostro Munera, id. ib. 4, 624.
    3. C. A present, gift (syn.: donum, praemium): bonum datum deorum concessu atque munere, Cic. Univ. 14: mittere alicui, id. Verr. 2, 4, 27, § 62: mittere aliquid alicui munere, to send one something as a present, Plin. 37, 5, 19, § 74 (al. muneri): quasi totam regionem muneri accepissent, had received as a present, Tac. A. 14, 31: aliquem munere donare, to present one with a gift, Verg. A. 5, 282: dare muneri aliquid alicui, to give one something as a present, Nep. Thras. 4, 2: munera Liberi, i. e. wine, Hor. C. 4, 15, 26: terrae, id. ib. 2, 14, 10: Cereris, bread, Ov. M. 10, 74; cf.: gratae post munus aristae, Juv. 14, 183: quem munere palpat Carus, i. e. a bribe, id. 1, 35.
      1. 2. In partic.
        1. a. A public show, spectacle, entertainment, exhibition, esp. a show of gladiators, which was given to the people by the magistrates, and generally by the ædiles, as an expression of gratitude for the honorable office to which they had been elected (cf.: ludus, spectaculum): erat munus Scipionis, dignum et eo ipso et illo Q. Metello, cui dabatur, Cic. Sest. 58, 124: munus magnificum dare, id. Q. Fr. 3, 8, 6: praebere, id. Sull. 19, 54: functus est aedilicio maximo munere, i. e. gave a splendid exhibition, id. Off. 2, 16, 55: edere, Suet. Tit. 7: venationes, quae vocantur munera, Lact. 6, 20: munera nunc edunt, Juv. 3, 36; 4, 18.
        2. b. A public building for the use of the people, erected at the expense of an individual: Pompeii munera, the theatre, Vell. 2, 130, 1: aut ubi muneribus nati sua munera mater Addidit (i. e. theatro Marcelli porticum Octaviam), Ov. A. A. 1, 69.
        3. c. Transf., of the structure of the universe: effector vel moderator tanti operis et muneris, Cic. Tusc. 1, 28, 70.