I.that by which any thing is shut up or closed, a lock, bar, bolt.
I. Prop.: claves, claustra, Varr. ap. Non. p. 545, 12: “claustra revellere,” Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 23, § 52; Liv. 5, 21, 10: januae pandere, * Cat. 61, 76: “laxare,” Verg. A. 2, 259: “relaxare,” Ov. Am. 1, 6, 17: “rumpere,” Verg. A. 9, 758: “diu claustris retentae ferae,” Liv. 42, 59, 2: “ferae claustris fractae,” Plin. Pan. 81, 3: “claustra pati,” to submit to confinement, Col. 8, 17, 8: “discutere,” Petr. 11, 2: “reserare,” Sil. 7, 334: “portarum ingentia claustra,” Verg. A. 7, 185; Val. Fl. 3, 53: “ferrea,” Mart. 10, 28, 8: “sub signo claustrisque rei publicae positum vectigal,” Cic. Agr. 1, 7, 21. —
B. Trop., a bar, band, barrier, bounds: “arta portarum naturae effringere,” i. e. to disclose its secrets, Lucr. 1, 72; cf.: “tua claustra fregerunt tui versus,” i. e. have become known, public, Plin. Ep. 2, 10, 3: “pudoris et reverentiae refringere,” id. ib. 2, 14, 4: “vitaï claustra resolvere,” to loose the bands of life, Lucr. 1, 416; 3, 397; 6, 1152: “temporum,” Vell. 1, 17, 4: “(animus) amat spatiis obstantia rumpere claustra (the figure drawn from the bounds of a racecourse),” Hor. Ep. 1, 14, 9.—
II. In a more extended sense, a door or gate that shuts up any place, a dam, dike; meton., a place that is shut up: “urbis relinquant,” Ov. M. 4, 86; cf. “Thebarum,” Stat. Th. 10, 474.—Of sunken ships, closing a port, Liv. 37, 14, 7; cf.: “ubi demersis navibus frenassent claustra maris,” id. 37, 15, 1: “maris,” i.e. a harbor, haven, Sil. 12, 442: “undae,” a dam, id. 5, 44; cf.: “Lucrino addita,” Verg. G. 2, 161; cf. id. A. 1, 56: “Daedalea,” i. e. the Labyrinth, Sen. Hippol. 1166 al.—
B. In milit. lang., a barricade, bulwark, key, defence, fortress, wall, bank, etc., for warding off an enemy: “claustra loci,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 32, § 84: “Corinthus in faucibus Graeciae, sic ut terra claustra locorum teneret,” id. Agr. 2, 32, 87: “Sutrium, quae urbs socia Romanis velut claustra Etruriae erat,” Liv. 9, 32. 1: “Aegypti,” id. 45, 11, 5; Tac. H. 2, 82; Suet. Vesp. 7: “tutissima praebet,” Liv. 42. 67, 6; cf. id. 6, 9, 4; 44, 7, 9; Tac. A. 2, 61 al.: “montium,” id. H. 3, 2: “Caspiarum,” id. ib. 1, 6: “maris,” id. ib. 3, 43; cf. Sil. 12, 442; Tac. A. 2, 59: suis claustris (walls, intrenchments) impeditos turbant, id. ib. 12, 31; cf. id. ib. 4, 49: “regni claustra Philae,” Luc. 10, 312: “Africae,” Flor. 4, 2, 70.—
C. Trop.: “cum ego claustra ista nobilitatis refregissem, ut aditus ad consulatum pateret,” Cic. Mur. 8, 17: “annonae Aegyptus,” Tac. H. 3, 8.
