Lewis & Short

sēmĭta, ae,f. [se-(= sed-), i.e. aside; and root mi-, to go; cf.: meo, trames], a narrow way, a path, foot-path, lane, by-way, etc. (opp. via, a highway; cf.: callis, trames): quā ibant, ab itu iter appellarunt; quā id anguste, semita ut semiter, dictum, Varr. L. L. 5, § 35 Müll.

  1. I. Lit. (freq. and class.): angustissimae semitae, Cic. Agr. 2, 35, 96; cf. Mart. 7, 61, 4: aut viam aut semitam monstrare, Plaut. Rud. 1, 3, 30: decedam ego illi de viā, de semitā, id. Trin. 2, 4, 80; cf. id. Curc. 2, 3, 8; Sen. Ep. 64, 10: scabras lutosasque semitas spectant, id. Ira, 3, 35, 5: omnibus viis notis semitisque essedarios ex silvis emittebat, Caes. B. G. 5, 19; so (opp. via) id. ib. 7, 8; Liv. 44, 43: semita angusta et ardua, id. 9, 24: ut Oresti nuper prandia in semitis decumae nomine magno honori fuerunt, Cic. Off. 2, 17, 58; Suet. Ner. 48; Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 20, 40 (Ann. v. 44 Vahl.): rara per occultos lucebat semita calles, Verg. A. 9, 383: quā jacet Herculeis semita litoribus, the narrow way, Prop. 1, 11, 2 et saep.
    In mal. part., Plaut. Curc. 1, 1, 36; cf. vulgi, Prop. 2, 23 (3, 17), 1.
    Prov.: qui sibi semitam non sapiunt, alteri monstrant viam, Enn. ap. Cic. Div. 1, 58, 132 (Trag. v. 358 Vahl.): de viā in semitam degredi, Plaut. Cas. 3, 5, 40.
    1. B. Transf., of other ways or paths (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): formicae praedam Convectant calle angusto … opere omnis semita fervet, Verg. A. 4, 407; so of the same, Plin. 11, 30, 36, § 110: Phryxi quā semita jungi Europamque Asiamque vetat, Stat. Achill. 1, 409: spumea semita fugientis clavi, Val. Fl. 4, 420: velox Lunae pigraque Saturni, Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 438: umida Iridis, id. Rapt. Pros. 2, 99: aratri, id. de Apono, 25: arteriae, id est spiritus semitae, Plin. 11, 37, 89, § 219.
  2. II. Trop. (rare but class.), a way, path, road: locuples et speciosa vult esse eloquentia … feratur ergo non semitis, sed campis: non uti fontes angustis fistulis colliguntur, sed ut latissimi amnes totis vallibus fluat ac sibi viam, si quando non acceperit, faciat, Quint. 5, 14, 31: illius ego semita feci viam, Phaedr. 3, prol. 38: jam intellegetis, hanc pecuniam, quae via modo visa est exire ab isto, eandem semita revertisse, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 23, § 57: secretum iter et fallentis semita vitae, Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 103: semita certe Tranquillae per virtutem patet unica vitae, Juv. 10, 364: novum ad victoriam iter sanguinis sui semita aperire, Flor. 1, 14, 4; so in eccl. Lat., freq., of a way of life, course of conduct, etc.: justitiae, Vulg. Prov. 2, 8: justorum, id. ib. 16, 17.