Lewis & Short

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mŏdus, i, m. [root med-, measure, weigh; Gr. μέδομαι, μέδοντες, μήστωρ, μέδιμνος; cf.: modius, modestus, moderor], a measure with which, or according to which, any thing is measured, its size, length, circumference, quantity (freq. and class.).

  1. I. Lit.
    1. A. In gen.: modi, quibus metirentur rura, Varr. R. R. 1, 10, 1: is modus acnua Latine appellatur, id. ib. 1, 10, 2: filio agri reliquit ei non magnum modum, Plaut. Aul. prol. 13: hoc erat in votis, modus agri non ita magnus, Hor. S. 2, 6, 1: de modo agri scripsit, Cic. Att. 13, 33, 2: de modo agri (actio), cum a venditore emptor deceptus est, Paul. Sent. 1, 19, 1: modus hic agri nostro non sufficit horto, Juv. 14, 172: modus altitudinis et latitudinis (sulcorum), Col. 11, 3, 4: collis modum jugeri continens, Col. Arbor. 1, 6: ut omnium par modus sit, Cels. 3, 27; cf. Col. 12, 23: falsus, false measure, Dig. 11, 6: magnus legionum, Vell. 2, 73, 2: hic mihi conteritur vitae modus, measure or term of life, Prop. 1, 7, 9.
    2. B. In partic.
      1. 1. Pregn., a proper measure, due measure: in modo fundi non animadverso lapsi sunt multi, Varr. R. R. 1, 11: suus cuique (rei) modus est, Cic. Or. 22, 73: ordine et modo, id. Off. 1, 5, 14: modum alicujus rei habere, to observe measure in a thing, not exceed the bounds of moderation, id. Verr. 2, 2, 59, § 144: vox quasi extra modum absona, beyond measure, immoderately, id. de Or. 3, 11, 41: cum lacus praeter modum crevisset, id. Div. 1, 44, 100: ii sine dubio fidem et modum transeunt, id. Off. 1, 29, 102: supra modum in servos suos saevire, Gai. Inst. 1, 53: sine modo modestiāque, without measure, without moderation, Sall. J. 41, 9: sine modo ac modestia agi, Liv. 26, 48, 11.
      2. 2. The measure of tones, measure, rhythm, melody, harmony, time; in poetry, measure, metre, mode: vocum, Cic. Div. 2, 3, 9: musici, Quint. 1, 10, 14: lyrici, Ov. H. 15, 6: fidibus Latinis Thebanos aptare modos, Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 12: Bacchico exsultas (i. e. exsultans) modo, Enn. ap. Charis. p. 214 P. (Trag. v. 152 Vahl.): flebilibus modis concinere, Cic. Tusc. 1, 44, 106: saltare ad tibicinis modos, to the music or sound of the flute, Liv. 7, 2: nectere canoris Eloquium vocale modis, Juv. 7, 19.
        Fig.: verae numerosque modosque ediscere vitae, moral harmonies, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 144.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. A measure which is not to be exceeded, a bound, limit, end, restriction, etc.: modus muliebris nullust, neque umquam lavando et fricando modum scimus facere, Plaut. Poen. 1, 2, 21: quis modus tibi tandem exilio eveniet, id. Merc. 3, 4, 67: modum aliquem et finem orationi facere, to set bounds to, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 48, § 118: ludendi est quidem modus retinendus, id. Off. 1, 29, 104: imponere alicui, Liv. 4, 24, 4: cum modum irae nullum faceret, id. 4, 50, 4: modum transire, Cic. Tusc. 4, 17, 4: cupidinibus statuat natura modum quem, Hor. S. 1, 2, 111: inimicitiarum modum facere, Cic. Sull. 17, 48: modum statuarum haberi nullum placet, id. Verr. 2, 2, 59, § 144: qui rebus infinitis modum constituant, id. Fin. 1, 1, 2: constituere, id. Verr. 2, 2, 59, § 145: modus vitae, τοῦ βίου τέλος, Prop. 1, 7, 9.
      With gen. gerund.: modum lugendi aliquando facere, to make an end of mourning, Cic. Fam. 5, 16, 6.
      Poet. with inf.: nam quis erit saevire modus? Stat. Th. 12, 573; cf. the foll.
    2. B. A way, manner, mode, method: modus est, in quo quem ad modum, et quo animo factum sit, quaeritur, Ejus partes sunt prudentia, et imprudentia, Cic. Inv. 1, 27, 41: nullum modum esse hominis occidendi quo ille non aliquot occiderit, id. Rosc. Am. 35, 100: nec enim semper (hae partes) tractantur uno modo, id. Or. 35, 122: vitae, way of life, id. Tusc. 5, 23, 66: caelestium ordinem … imitari vitae modo, id. Sen. 21, 77: quibus modis, by what method of acting, i. e. what means, Sall. C. 5, 6: cultores has Alpis modo tuto transmittere, Liv. 21, 30, 8.
      Poet. with inf.: nec modus inserere atque oculos imponere simplex, Verg. G. 2, 73.
      1. 2. Esp. freq.: modo, in modum, or ad modum, with a gen. or adj., in the manner of, like: servorum modo, in the manner of, like slaves, Liv. 39, 26: pecorum modo trahi, Tac. A. 4, 25: in modum ramorum, Col. Arbor. 22: in nostrum modum, in our manner, Tac. H. 3, 25: servilem in modum cruciari, like slaves, Cic. Verr. 1, 5, 13; Caes. B. G. 6, 19, 3; Suet. Calig. 56: mirum in modum, in a wonderful manner, wonderfully, Caes. B. G. 1, 41: ad hunc modum distributis legionibus, in this manner, id. ib. 5, 24: naves ad hunc modum factae, id. ib. 3, 13: nos nostras more nostro et modo instruximus legiones, Plaut. Am. 1, 1, 66: non tuo hoc fiet modo, id. Men. 2, 1, 25: si humano modo, si usitato more peccāsset, after the manner of men, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 8; cf.: Carneadeo more et modo disputata, id. Univ. 1; for which with gen.: apis Matinae More modoque, Hor. C. 4, 2, 28; and: agendi more ac modo, Quint. 11, 1, 29: tali modo, in such a manner, in such wise, Nep. Att. 21, 1: nullo modo, in no wise, by no means, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 76, § 186: omni modo egi cum rege et ago cotidie, in every way, earnestly, urgently, id. Att. 6, 2, 7: omnibus modis tibi esse rem salvam ut scias, Plaut. Ps. 4, 6, 13: omnibus modis miser sum, every way, wholly, completely, Ter. Hec. 4, 4, 79: miris modis, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 9; Liv. 1, 57, 6; Hor. C. 2, 17, 21: mille modis amor ignorandust, Plaut. Trin. 2, 1, 30: hoc multis modis reprehendi potest, Cic. Fin. 2, 26, 82 (v. Madv. ad h. l.); so, filium multis modis jam exspecto, ut redeat domum, very much, Ter. Hec. 2, 3, 7; cf. multimodis: mira miris modis, Plaut. Cas. 3, 5, 5; cf. mirimodis: eum tibi commendo in majorem modum, very much, greatly, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 12 (14), 3: nullo modo, id. Fin. 2, 31, 102; Col. 9, 8; Suet. Tit. 2: bono modo, moderately, Cato, R. R. 5: bono modo desiderare aliquid, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 6, 3: ejus modi, of that kind, of such a kind or sort (freq.): ejusmodi sunt tempestates consecutae, ut, Caes. B. G. 3, 29, 2: in ejusmodi casu, id. ib. 5, 33, 4; 6, 34, 7: erant ejusmodi fere situs oppidorum, ut, id. ib. 3, 12, 1: petitionis nostrae hujusmodi ratio est, Cic. Att. 1, 1, 1; so, cujusquemodi, cujusdammodi, cujusmodicumque, cuimodi, cuicuimodi, v. Zumpt, § 678: cujusmodi, of what sort, Cic. Fam. 15, 20, 3: cujuscemodi, of what sort soever, id. Inv. 2, 45, 134: hujusmodi, hujuscemodi, of this kind, such: hujusmodi casus, Caes. B. C. 2, 22: hujuscemodi verba, Sall. J. 9 fin.: illiusmodi, of that kind, Cic. Div. in Caecil. 21, 68; so, istiusmodi amicos, Plaut. Rud. 2, 2, 15.
      2. 3. In gram., a form of a verb, a voice or mood: in verbo fiunt soloecismi per genera, tempora, personas, modos, etc., Quint. 1, 5, 41: patiendi modus (the passive voice) … faciendi modus (the active voice), id. 9, 3, 7; cf. 1, 6, 26.