I. A going round, a circling, revolving, a revolution: “solis,” Cic. N. D. 2, 19, 49; cf. Plin. 2, 23, 21, § 86; Cic. Rep. 6, 12, 12: “nox et dies unum circumitum orbis efflcit,” id. Univ. 9 prope med.: “Asiae Syriaeque circuitu Aegyptum petit,” Suet. Aug. 17: “mundi,” Plin. 2, 5, 4, § 11.—
B. In medic. lang., the periodical return of a disease, Cels. 3, 5; Ser. Samm. 95.—Far more freq.,
II. Meton.
A. (Abstr. pro concr.). A circuit, compass, a way around: “plurimum refert, cujus sit formae ille circuitus,” Quint. 1, 10, 40; cf. id. 1, 10, 42; 1, 5, 26; Augur. ap. Gell. 13, 14, 1: “collis, quem propter magnitudinem circuitus opere circumplecti non poterant,” Caes. B. G. 7, 83: “illi operibus vincebant, quod interiore spatio minorem circuitum habebant,” id. B. C. 3, 44: “XV milia passuum circuitu amplexus,” id. ib.; so id B G. 1, 41; Plin. 4, 12, 19, § 54: “brevi per mon tes circuitu praemissis, qui munirent viam,” Liv. 34, 28, 2; 4, 27, 8; Curt. 3, 11, 19: “qualis esset natura montis et qualis in circuitu ascensus,” Caes. B. G. 1, 21; 2, 29; 2, 30: “longo circuitu petere regiones,” id. ib. 7, 45; Verg. A. 11, 767: “saevaque circuitu curvantem bracchia longo, Ov M. 2, 82: circumitus Siciliae quid tibi novi ostenderit,” Sen. Ep. 79, 1.—
B. = ambitus, an open space left around a building, Varr. L. L. 5, § 22; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p 5, 4 Müll.; Inscr Marin. Fratr. Arval. p. 369.—
III. Trop
A. In rhet., a period: in toto circuitu illo orationis, quem Graeci περιοδον, nos tum ambitum, tum circuitum, tum comprehensionem, aut continuationem aut circumscriptionem dicimus, Cic. Or. 61, 204; cf. “Quint 9, 4, 124: modo ne circuitus ipse verborum sit aut brevior quam aures exspectent, aut longior, etc.,” Cic. de Or 3, 49, 191; 3, 51, 198; id. Or. 23, 78; Quint. 8, 6, 59; 11, 1, 6. —In plur.: “oratio longiores habet saepe circuitus,” Quint. 9, 4, 60.—
B. In the postAug. per., a circumlocution, periphrasis, a roundabout way in speech or action; an indirect procedure.
1. Of speech, ea, quae proprie signari poterant, circuitu coeperint enuntiare, Quint. 12, 10, 16; 12, 10, 41; 5, 7, 16; “10, 1, 12: loqui per circuitus,” Mart. 11, 15, 8.—
