I. A.. The moving or driving of an object, impulse, motion: linguae actu, Pacuv. ap. Non. 506, 17: “mellis constantior est natura ... et cunctantior actus,” Lucr. 3, 192: “levi admonitu, non actu, inflectit illam feram,” by driving, Cic. Rep. 2, 40: “fertur in abruptum magno mons inprobus actu,” Verg. A. 12, 687: “pila contorsit violento spiritus actu,” Sen. Agam. 432; hominum aut animalium actu vehiculum adhibemus, Cael. Aurel. Tard. 1, 1.— Hence,
B. Transf.
1. The right of driving cattle through a place, a passage for cattle: “aquae ductus, haustus, iter, actus,” Cic. Caec. 26; Ulp. Dig. 8, 3, 1.—
2. A road between fields; a cart- or carriage-way, Dig. 8, 1, 5; 8, 5, 4; 43, 19, 1 al.—And,
3. A measure or piece of land (in quo boves aguntur, cum aratur, cum impetu justo, Plin. 18, 59): actus minimus, 120 feet long and 4 feet wide: quadratus, 120 feet square; and duplicatus, 240 feet long and 120 feet wide, Varr. L. L. 5, § 34 Müll.; id. R. R. 1, 10; Paul. ex Fest. p. 17 Müll. Also a division made by bees in a hive, Plin. 11, 10, 10, § 22.
II. The doing or performing or a thing, an act, performance.
A. In gen. (so not in Cic.; for Leg. 1, 11, inst. of pravis actibus, is to be read, pravitatibus; “but often in the post-Aug. per.): post actum operis,” Quint. 2, 18, 1: “in vero actu rei,” id. 7, 2, 41: “rhetorice in actu consistit,” id. 2, 18, 2: “donec residua diurni actus conficeret,” Suet. Aug. 78; so id. Claud. 30: “non consenserat actibus eorum,” Vulg. Luc. 23, 51.—
B. Esp.
1. Public employment, business of state, esp. judicial: “actus rerum,” jurisdiction, Suet. Aug. 32; id. Claud. 15, 23; also absol. actus, Dig. 39, 4, 16; 40, 5, 41 al.—
2. The action accompanying oral delivery.
b. Of an actor: the representation of a play, a part, a character, etc.: “neque enim histrioni, ut placeat, peragenda est fabula, modo in quocunque fuerit actu, probetur,” Cic. de Sen. 19, 70: “carminum actus,” recital, Liv. 7, 2: “histrionum actus,” Quint. 10, 2, 11: “in tragico quodam actu, cum elapsum baculum cito resumpsisset,” Suet. Ner. 24.—Hence, also, a larger division of a play, an act: “primo actu placeo,” Ter. Hec. prol. 31: “neque minor quinto, nec sit productior actu Fabula,” Hor. A. P. 189, and trop. (in Cic. very often): “extremus actus aetatis,” Cic. de Sen. 2; id. Marcell. 9: “quartus actus improbitatis,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 6; so id. Phil. 2, 14; id. Fam. 5, 12 al.
