I. Adv.
A. Of place, round about, on every side: lapidem fuisse quadratum circiter (i. e. cubical) in mediā arcā vinctum candelis quaquaversum, Cass. Hem. ap. Plin. 13, 13, 27, § 85 (cf. the passage cited under circum, I. A. 1., from Varr. R. R. 3, 10, 3).—
B. Of time, designating nearness to a fixed point, about, near (cf. ante, post): “illic noster est fortasse circiter triennium,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 3, 79: “circiter duobus mensibus,” Varr. R. R. 3, 10, 6: “diebus circiter quindecim ad fines Belgarum pervenit,” Caes. B. G. 2, 2: “horā diei circiter quartā,” id. ib. 4, 23: circiter horā decimā noctis, Sulp. ap. Cic. Fam. 4, 12, 1: circiter luminibus accensis Uticam pervenit, Auct. B. Afr. 89 fin.—
C. Of number, about, near, not far from: “circiter quingentae species,” Varr. L. L. 6, 5, 61: “circiter CCXX. naves eorum paratissimae,” Caes. B. G. 3, 14: “circiter milia hominum CXXX. superfuerunt,” id. ib. 1, 26; 1, 27; “1, 31: circiter pars quarta,” Sall. C. 56, 3: “mons suberat circiter mille passuum,” Caes. B. G. 1, 25: “circiter duūm milium intervallo,” Sall. J. 106, 5: “circiter parte tertiā (armorum) celatā et in oppido retentā, etc.,” Caes. B. G. 2, 32 fin.; 1, 25: “ita dies circiter quindecim iter fecerunt,” id. ib. 1, 15: “hic locus ab hoste circiter passus sexcentos aberat,” id. ib. 1, 49: “ad flumen Rhenum milia passuum ex eo loco circiter quinque pervenerunt,” id. ib. 1, 53: “cum decem circiter milia ab hoste abessent,” Liv. 28, 1, 7.—
II. Prep. with acc. (orig. an adv. with acc. of time or of space traversed; cf. Hand, Turs. II. p. 71 sq.).
A. Of place (very rare): nisi, ut opinor, Loca haec circiter excidit mihi (cista), Plaut, Cist. 4, 2, 8.—
B. Transf., of time, about, near: “redito huc circiter meridiem,” Plaut. Most. 3, 1, 52 Ritschl: “circiter meridiem exercitum in castra deduxit,” Caes. B. G. 1, 50: “nos circiter Kalendas in Formiano erimus,” Cic. Att. 2, 4, 6: “circiter Idus Novembrīs in Italiā speramus fore,” id. Fam. 14, 5, 2: “circiter Idus Maias,” id. Att. 2, 17, 1: “noctem, Auct. B. Afr. 89: mensem,” Varr. R. R. 3, 8, 3; 2, 11, 7; “Kalendas Junias,” Sall. C. 17, 1: “octavam circiter horam,” Hor. Ep. 1, 7, 47.!*? Circiter very rarely follows its case; v. Plaut. Cist. II. A. supra.
