3. passus, ūs, m. [from the root pat], a step, pace (cf.: gressus, gradus).
- I. Lit.: hinc campos celerl passu permensa parumper, Enn. ap. Non. 378, 20 (Ann. v. 74 Vahl.); Plaut. Bacch. 4, 7, 34; Lucr 4, 827; 877; Cic. Leg. 1, 21, 54: sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis, Verg. A. 2, 724: nec longis inter se passibus absunt, id. ib. 11, 907: rapidis ferri Passibus, id. ib. 7, 156; Ov. M. 11, 64: per litora lentis Passibus spatiari, id. ib. 2, 572: passu anili procedere, id. ib. 13, 533 et saep.: passibus ambiguis Fortuna errat, id. Tr. 5, 8, 15: caelestis (of glory), Plin. 2, 7, 5, § 18.
- II. Transf.
- A. A footstep, track, trace: si sint in litore passus, Ov. H. 19, 27; id. P 2, 6, 21.
- B. A pace, as a measure of length, consisting of five Roman feet: stadium centum viginti quinque nostros officit passus, hoc est pedes sexcentos viginti quinque, Plin. 2, 23, 21, § 85: nec exercitum propius urbem millia passuum ducenta admoverit, Cic. Phil. 7, 9, 26; id. Quint. 25, 79; id. Sest. 12, 29.