Lewis & Short

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ex-ordĭor, orsus, 4, v. dep. a., to begin a web, to lay the warp, to weave (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: funem longum pedes LXXII., Cato R. R. 135, 4; cf. trop.: neque exordiri primum, unde occipias, habes, Neque detexundam ad telam certos terminos, Plaut. Ps. 1, 4, 7; and: pertexe modo, Antoni, quod exorsus es, Cic. de Or. 2, 33, 145.
  2. II. Transf., in gen., to begin, commence, esp. a speech; constr. with the acc., an inf., with ab or absol.
          1. (α) With acc. (so perh. not in Cic.): consilia, Plaut. As. 1, 1, 102: argutias adversus aliquem, id. Bacch. 1, 2, 19: facinus, id. ib. 4, 4, 71: hanc rem facete et callide, id. Pers. 4, 1, 7: bellum ab causa tam nefanda, Liv. 4, 17, 6: classicum ingenti spiritu, Suet. Caes. 32: tragoediam magno impetu, id. Aug. 85: causam, Quint. 4, 1, 2: preces, Ov. M. 10, 483: parricidia et caedes a Claudio, Suet. Ner. 33 et saep.
          2. (β) With inf. (Ciceronian): imitabor ergo Aratum, qui magnis de rebus dicere exordiens, a Jove incipiendum putat, Cic. Rep. 1, 36: tunc dicere exorsus est, id. Fin. 1, 8 fin.; cf. id. Div. 2, 49, 101; and Nep. Pelop. 1 fin.
          3. (γ) With ab (class.): aut ab adversarii dicto exordiemur, aut, etc., Auct. Her. 1, 6, 10: ab ipsa re, Cic. de Or. 2, 79, 320: a veritate, a dignitate, id. ib. 2, 8, 31.
          4. (δ) Absol. (class.): ancilla hoc pacto exordiri coepit, Plaut. Cas. 3, 5, 31: jubent exordiri ita, ut eum, qui audiat, benevolum nobis faciamus, etc., Cic. de Or. 2, 19, 80; so, ita, quasi, etc., Quint. prooem. § 4: in hunc modum, Tac. A. 3, 50: his verbis, id. ib. 6, 6: clamore, Cic. Cael. 15, 38.
            Note: exorsus, a, um, in pass. signif., begun, commenced: exorsa tela, Plaut. Bacch. 2, 4, 116; Visell. ap. Prisc. p. 793 P.; cf.: reperiunt ea, quibus ante exorsa et potius detexta prope retexantur, Cic. de Or. 2, 38, 158.
            In the plur. subst.: exorsa, ōrum, n., a beginning, commencement: per ambages et longa exorsa aliquem tenere, a long preamble, Verg. G. 2, 45: sua cuique exorsa laborem Fortunamque ferent, beginning, undertaking, id. A. 10, 111 (opp. exitus), Amm. 14, 11, 26.

1. exorsus, a, um, Part., from exordior.

* 2. exorsus, ūs, m. [exordior], a beginning, commencement: orationis, Cic. de Imp. Pomp. 4, 11.