Lewis & Short

circĭter, adv. and prep. [circus].

  1. I. Adv.
    1. A. Of place, round about, on every side: lapidem fuisse quadratum circiter (i. e. cubical) in mediā arcā vinctum candelis quaquaversum, Cass. Hem. ap. Plin. 13, 13, 27, § 85 (cf. the passage cited under circum, I. A. 1., from Varr. R. R. 3, 10, 3).
    2. B. Of time, designating nearness to a fixed point, about, near (cf. ante, post): illic noster est fortasse circiter triennium, Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 79: circiter duobus mensibus, Varr. R. R. 3, 10, 6: diebus circiter quindecim ad fines Belgarum pervenit, Caes. B. G. 2, 2: horā diei circiter quartā, id. ib. 4, 23: circiter horā decimā noctis, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 12, 1: circiter luminibus accensis Uticam pervenit, Auct. B. Afr. 89 fin.
    3. C. Of number, about, near, not far from: circiter quingentae species, Varr. L. L. 6, 5, 61: circiter CCXX. naves eorum paratissimae, Caes. B. G. 3, 14: circiter milia hominum CXXX. superfuerunt, id. ib. 1, 26; 1, 27; 1, 31: circiter pars quarta, Sall. C. 56, 3: mons suberat circiter mille passuum, Caes. B. G. 1, 25: circiter duūm milium intervallo, Sall. J. 106, 5: circiter parte tertiā (armorum) celatā et in oppido retentā, etc., Caes. B. G. 2, 32 fin.; 1, 25: ita dies circiter quindecim iter fecerunt, id. ib. 1, 15: hic locus ab hoste circiter passus sexcentos aberat, id. ib. 1, 49: ad flumen Rhenum milia passuum ex eo loco circiter quinque pervenerunt, id. ib. 1, 53: cum decem circiter milia ab hoste abessent, Liv. 28, 1, 7.
  2. II. Prep. with acc. (orig. an adv. with acc. of time or of space traversed; cf. Hand, Turs. II. p. 71 sq.).
    1. A. Of place (very rare): nisi, ut opinor, Loca haec circiter excidit mihi (cista), Plaut, Cist. 4, 2, 8.
    2. B. Transf., of time, about, near: redito huc circiter meridiem, Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 52 Ritschl: circiter meridiem exercitum in castra deduxit, Caes. B. G. 1, 50: nos circiter Kalendas in Formiano erimus, Cic. Att. 2, 4, 6: circiter Idus Novembrīs in Italiā speramus fore, id. Fam. 14, 5, 2: circiter Idus Maias, id. Att. 2, 17, 1: noctem, Auct. B. Afr. 89: mensem, Varr. R. R. 3, 8, 3; 2, 11, 7; Kalendas Junias, Sall. C. 17, 1: octavam circiter horam, Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 47.
      Note: Circiter very rarely follows its case; v. Plaut. Cist. II. A. supra.