Lewis & Short

nŏta, ae, f. [nosco], a mark, sign, note (cf.: signum, insigne, indicium): nota alias significat signum; ut in pecoribus, tabulis, libris, litterae singulae aut binae, alias ignominiam, Paul. ex Fest. p. 174 Müll. (v. in the foll.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: reliquis epistulis notam apponam eam, quae mihi tecum convenit, Cic. Fam. 13, 6, a, 2: si signa et notas ostenderem locorum, id. de Or. 2, 41, 174; Liv. 37, 31: sive puer furens Impressit memorem dente labris notam, Hor. C. 1, 13, 11: caeruleae cui (angui) notae, Verg. A. 5, 87.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Notae litterarum, marks or characters in writing, letters: qui sonos vocis, qui infiniti videbantur, paucis litterarum notis terminavit, Cic. Tusc. 1, 25, 62: sortes in robore insculptae priscarum litterarum notis, id. Div. 2, 41, 85.
        So without litterarum: quosque legat versus oculo properante viator, Grandibus in tituli marmore caede notis, Ov. Tr. 3, 3, 72: foliisque notas et nomina mandat, Verg. A. 3, 444: C nota praenominis, cum sola Gaium notat; item numeri cum centum significat, Diom. 418 P.
        1. b. Transf., notae, a letter, epistle, writing (poet.): inspicit acceptas hostis ab hoste notas, Ov. H. 4, 6; 20, 207; id. M. 6, 577: incisa notis marmora publicis, Hor. C. 4, 8, 13.
      2. 2. Secret characters, secret writing, cipher: in quibus (epistulis), si qua occultius perferenda essent, per notas scripsit, Suet. Caes. 56; id. Aug. 88; Cic. Mur. 11, 25; cf. Gell. 17, 9; Isid. Orig. 1, 25.
      3. 3. Short-hand characters, stenographic signs, used instead of the letters of the alphabet: apud veteres cum usus notarum nullus esset, propter perscribendi difficultatem … quaedam verba atque nomina ex communi sensu primis litteris notabant, et singulae litterae quid significarent, in promptu erat, Val. Prob. de Jur. Not. Signif. 1: quid verborum notas, quibus quamvis citata excipitur oratio et celeritatem linguae manus sequitur? Sen. Ep. 90, 25; Suet. Tit. 3: notis scriptae tabulae non continentur edicto, quia notas litteras non esse Pedius scripsit, Dig. 37, 1, 6; ib. 50, 13, 1, § 7: verba notis brevibus comprendere cuncta peritus, Raptimque punctis dicta praepetibus sequi, Prud. στεφ. 9, 23.
      4. 4. Memoranda, notes, brief extracts: idem (Aristoteles) locos, quasi argumentorum notas, tradidit, Cic. Or. 14, 46.
      5. 5. A note in music: notis musicis cantica excipere, Quint. 1, 12, 14.
      6. 6. A critical mark, made on the margin of a book in reading, to point out particular passages: notam apponere ad malum versum, Cic. Pis. 30, 73: mittam tibi libros, et imponam notas, ut ad ea ipsa protinus, quae probo et miror accedas, Sen. Ep. 6, 4; cf. Isid. Orig. 1, 21; Varr. R. R. 1, 59, 2.
        Hence,
        1. b. Transf., a critical remark, a note, on a writing: ex notā Marcelli constat, etc., Dig. 49, 17, 10; Cod. Th. 1, 4, 1.
      7. 7. A mark on a wine-cask, to denote the quality of the wine: nota Falerni, Hor. C. 2, 3, 8; id. S. 1, 10, 24.
        Hence,
        1. b. Transf., a sort, kind, quality: eae notae sunt optimae, i. e. wines of those brands, Cic. Brut. 83, 287: ex hac notā corporum est aër, Sen. Q. N. 2, 2, 4: secundae notae mel, Col. 9, 15, 3: eum ex hac notā litteratorum esse, Petr. 83: de meliore notā, Cur. ap. Cic. Fam. 7, 29, 1: quaedam beneficia non sunt ex hac vulgari notā, sed majora, Sen. Ben. 3, 9, 1.
      8. 8. A distinguishing mark. distinctive feature: cujusque generis dicendi nota, Cic. Or. 23, 75; Phaedr. 4, 22, 22.
      9. 9. A nod, beck, sign: innuet: acceptas tu quoque redde notas, Ov. A. A. 3, 514; id. M. 11, 466.
      10. 10. A brand on the body of a bad slave: multos honesti ordinis, deformatos prius stigmatum notis, ad metalla condemnavit, Suet. Calig. 27.
        Also of tattoo-marks: barbarus compunctus notis Thraciis, Cic. Off. 2, 7, 25: interstincti corpora … fucatis et densioribus notis, Amm. 31, 2, 14.
      11. 11. A mark, spot, mole on the body (syn.: naevus, macula): corpore traditur maculoso dispersis per pectus atque alvum genetivis notis, Suet. Aug. 80; Hor. C. 4, 2, 59.
      12. 12. A stamp impression on a coin: nummos omnis notae, Suet. Aug. 75; 94; id. Ner. 25.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., a mark, sign, token: notae ac vestigia suorum flagitiorum, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 47, § 115: quam scite per notas nos certiores facit Juppiter, id. Div. 2, 21, 47: mihi quoque impendere idem exitium, certis quibusdam notis augurabar, Plin. Ep. 3, 11, 3: nomina et notae morti destinatorum, Suet. Calig. 49: pro re publicā cicatrices ac notas virtutis accipere, Cic. Rab. Perd. 13, 36: interspirationis enim, non defatigationis nostrae neque librariorum notae, signs of punctuation marks, Cic. de Or. 3, 44, 173.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. A characteristic quality, character: patefacta interiore notā animi sui, Suet. Tib. 54.
      2. 2. Nota censoria, or simply nota, the mark or note which the censors affixed in their lists of citizens to the name of any one whom they censured for immorality or want of patriotism: censoriae severitatis nota, Cic. Clu. 46, 129: patrum memoriā institutum fertur, ut censores motis e senatu adscriberent notas, Liv. 39, 42, 6 sq.: duo milia nominum in aerarios relata, tribuque omnes moti, additumque tam acri censoriae notae triste senatus consultum, ut, etc., id. 24, 18, 9 Weissenb.: censores senatum sine ullius notā legerunt, not excluding any one, id. 32, 7, 3: censores eo anno … de senatu novem ejecerunt. Insignes notae fuerunt Maluginensis et Scipionis et, etc., id. 41, 27, 1 sq.: notae jam destinatae exemptus est, Gell. 4, 20, 8; v. Dict. of Antiq. p. 664 sq.
        Hence,
        1. b. Transf., a mark of ignominy or infamy, a reproach, disgrace: quem scis scire tuas omnes maculasque notasque, Lucil. ap. Non. 354, 21: quae nota domesticae turpitudinis non inusta vitae tuae est? Cic. Cat. 1, 6, 13: Gabinii litteras insigni quādam notā atque ignominiā novā condemnāstis, id. Prov. Cons. 10, 25: o turpem notam temporum illorum, id. Off. 3, 18, 74: homo omnibus notis turpitudinis insignis, id. Rab. Perd. 9, 24: nota ignominiaque Philippi, Liv. 21, 44, 7: sempiternas foedissimae turpitudinis notas subire, Cic. Pis. 18, 41: notā laborare, Dig. 3, 2, 2.