Lewis & Short

2. saltus, ūs (gen. salti, Att. ap. Non. 486, 1), m. [etym. dub.; perh. akin to Sanscr. sar-, sal-, to go; v. Corss. Ausspr. 2, 71], a woody district, uncultivated but used for pasture, a forest-pasture, woodland-pasture, woodland (level or mountainous); freq. and class.; cf.: silva, nemus, lucus).

  1. I. Lit.: saltus est, ubi silvae et pastiones sunt, quarum causā casae quoque. Si qua particula in eo saltu pastorum aut custodum causā aratur ea res non peremit nomen saltui, non magis quam fundi, qui est in agro culto, et ejus causā habet aedificium, si qua particula in eo habet silvam, Ael. Gall. ap. Fest. p. 302 Müll.; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, 6, 10: conductor saltūs, in quo fundus est, Dig. 19, 1, 52: in saltu habente habitationes, ib. 3, 5, 27: saltum pascuum locare, ib. 19, 2, 19: silvestribus saltibus delectantur, Varr. R. R. 2, 3, 6: saltibus in vacuis pascunt, Verg. G. 3, 143: floriferis in saltibus, Lucr. 3, 11: de saltu agroque vi detruditur, Cic. Quint. 6, 28: silvis aut saltibus se eripere, Caes. B. G. 6, 43 fin.; cf.: montium domina ut fores, Silvarumque virentium Saltuumque reconditorum, Cat. 34, 11; so (with silvae) Verg. G. 3, 40; 4, 53; id. A. 4, 72; Ov. M. 2, 498; (with nemora) Verg. E. 10, 9; cf.: in silvestrem saltum, Curt. 4, 3, 21: unde tot Quinctilianus habet saltus, Juv. 7, 188; 10, 194; Hor. C. 2, 3, 17; 3, 4, 15; id. E. 2, 2, 178.
    In the poets also as the abode of wild animals: saepire plagis saltum canibusque ciere, Lucr. 5, 1251; Verg. G. 1, 140; 2, 471; id. A. 4, 121: saltus venatibus apti, Ov. H. 5, 17; id. M. 2, 498.
      1. 2. Esp., a narrow pass, ravine, mountain-valley: omnia vada ac saltus hujus paludis certis custodiis obtinebat, Caes. B. G. 7, 19: Pyrenaeos saltus occupari jubet, id. B. C. 1, 37; cf. id. ib. 1, 37 fin.; 1, 38; 3, 19: saltu angusto superatis montibus, Liv. 42, 53; cf.: angustiae saltibus crebris inclusae, id. 28, 1: ante saltum Thermopylarum in septentrionem versa Epirus, id. 36, 15: premendo praesidiis angustos saltus inclusit, id. 40, 40; cf.: nemorum jam claudite saltus, Verg. E. 6, 56: saltibus degressi scrupulosis et inviis, Amm. 19, 13, 1.
      2. 3. In partic., in agriculture, a portion of the public lands, consisting of four centuriae, Varr. R. R. 1, 10, 2.
    1. B. Transf., = pudendum muliebre, Plaut. Cas. 5, 2, 41; id. Curc. 1, 1, 56.
  2. * II. Trop.: meumque erum ex hoc saltu damni salvum ut educam foras, from this forest of danger, this ticklish situation, Plaut. Men. 5, 6, 28; v. Ritschl ad h. 1.