Lewis & Short

tăbŭla, ae, f. [root ta-, tab; whence also taberna, q. v.], a board, plank.

  1. I. In gen.: si tabulam de naufragio stultus arripuerit, Cic. Off. 3, 23, 89; cf. id. Att. 4, 18, 3; Verg. A. 1, 119: laceras tabulas in litore vidi, Ov. M. 11, 428: tabula navis, Juv. 14, 289; Verg. A. 9, 537: inauratae, Plin. 36, 15, 24, § 114: latera (fossarum) cluduntur tabulis, id. 33, 4, 21, § 76: perforatae, Col. 7, 4, 5.
    Esp., a board to play on, Ov. de Nuce, 77; Sen. Tranq. An. 14, 7; Juv. 1, 90.
  2. II. In partic.
    1. A. A writing-tablet; also, a tablet written upon, a writing, as a letter, contract, account, list, will, etc. (cf. tabella): tabulae litteris Graecis confectae, Caes. B. G. 1, 29: cerata, Plaut. As. 4, 1, 18: litteraria, a writing-tablet for children, Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 10; cf.: laevo suspensi loculos tabulamque lacerto, Hor. S. 1, 6, 74; id. Ep. 1, 1, 56: ponatur calculus assint Cum tabula pueri, Juv. 9, 41: tabula calculatoria, Schol. Juv. 7, 73.
    2. B. Plur., a book of account: pro tabulis, Ubi aera perscribuntur usuraria, Plaut. Truc. 1, 1, 52; cf.: multum differt, in arcāne positum sit argentum, an in tabulis debeatur, Cic. Top. 3, 16: litterae lituraeque omnes assimulatae, expressae, de tabulis in libros transferuntur, id. Verr. 2, 2, 77, § 189: aliquid in tabulas referre, id. Fl. 9, 20: tabulas conficere, id. de Or. 2, 23, 97; id. Verr. 2, 1, 23, § 60; id. Rosc. Com. 2, 5: unae tabulae proferantur, in quibus vestigium sit aliquod, quod, etc., id. Font. 5, 12 (1, 2): novae, new account-books (by substituting which for the old ones debts were abolished in whole or in part), id. Phil. 6, 4, 11; id. Att. 5, 21, 13; 14, 21, 4; id. Off. 2, 23, 84; Caes. B. C. 3, 1; 3, 21; cf. Sall. C. 21, 2.
    3. C. A counter, office where records are kept: suos necessarios conrogat, ut ad tabulam Sextiam sibi adsint horā secundā, Cic. Quint. 6, 25.
    4. D. Adest ad tabulam: licetur Aebutius (a tablet on which an auction was advertised); hence, an auction, Cic. Caecin. 6, 16; cf.: sin ad tabulam venimus, vincemus facultates Othonis, id. Att. 12, 40, 4.
    5. E. Of public records, etc.: tabula praerogativae, a list of votes, Cic. Pis. 5, 11; cf. Varr. R. R. 3, 5, 18; 3, 17, 1; Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 2, 8: qui de tabulis publicis recitat, public records, State papers, Cic. Fl. 17, 40; so, publicae, id. Arch. 4, 8; Liv. 26, 36, 11.
      Esp., the censor’s lists: tabularum cura, Liv. 4. 8, 4: memoria publica recensionis tabulis publicis impressa, Cic. Mil. 27, 74; Flor. 1, 6, 3; cf.: tabulae aereae, in quibus publicae constitutiones inciduntur, Plin. 34, 9, 21, § 99: XII. tabulae, the Twelve Tables, Cic. Rep. 2, 31, 54; so of the tables of the laws: decem tabulas conscripsisse, id. ib. 2, 36, 61: duabus tabulis additis, id. ib. 2, 37, 63; id. de Or. 1, 43, 193; 1, 44, 195 al.; v. duodecim; cf.: nequa tabula ullius decreti Caesaris aut beneficii figeretur, id. Phil. 1, 1, 3: tabula Sullae, the list of proscribed persons, Juv. 2, 28; Mart. 5, 69, 2; Cic. Rosc. Am. 8, 21; 9, 26.
  3. F. Of any formal or solemn writing: in tabulas multis haec via fecit iter, i. e. a will, testament, Ov. A. A. 2, 332; Plin. Ep. 2, 20, 11; Juv. 2, 58; 4, 19; 12, 123; 14, 55; Mart. 5, 39, 2: Dicaearchi tabulae, maps, Cic. Att. 6, 2, 3: lapideae, Vulg. Exod. 24, 12; id. 2 Cor. 3, 3.
  4. G. A painted tablet or panel, a painting, picture: tabula picta, Plaut. Men. 1, 2, 34; Ter. Eun. 3, 5, 36; Cic. Brut. 75, 261: imago in tabulis, id. Fin. 5, 1, 3; id. de Or. 1, 35, 161; id. Par. 5, 2, 37; Prop. 1, 2, 22; 2, 3, 41; Plin. 35, 9, 36, § 64.
    Prov.: manum de tabulā, take your hand from the picture! enough! it is finished! sed heus tu, manum de tabulā, Cic. Fam. 7, 25, 1; cf.: dixit (Apelles) … uno se praestare, quod manum de tabulā sciret tollere, Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 80.
  5. H. A votive-tablet (on which a shipwreck was painted): me tabula sacer Votiva paries indicat, etc., Hor. C. 1, 5, 13: largire inopi, ne pictus oberret Caeruleā in tabulā, Pers. 6, 32 (cf.: mersā rate naufragus assem Dum rogat et pictā se tempestate tuetur, Juv. 14, 301).
  6. K. A bed or plot of ground in a vineyard, Pall. Jan. 11; id. Febr. 10, 1; 9, 9; Auct. Limit. p. 311 Goes.
  7. L. A fold in a garment, Tert. Pall. 1 and 5.