I. A going to and fro, passing freely, going at will: “in eo conclavid ego perfodi parietem, Quā conmeatus clam esset hinc huc mulieri,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 65; cf.: “commeatum vocis exercent fauces,” Pall. 1, 3.—
II. Meton.
A. A place through which one can pass back and forth, a thoroughfare, passage (rare; cf.: “abitus, aditus, circuitus, etc.): nimis beat, quod conmeatus transtinet trans parietem,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 5, 58: “per hortum utroque conmeatus continet,” id. Stich. 3, 1, 44; Dig. 43, 8, 2, § 25.—
B. A leave of absence from one's station for a definite time, a furlough: “commeare, ultro citro ire: unde commeatus dari dicitur, id est tempus, quo ire, redire quis posset,” Fest. p. 277, 27 Müll.: “dare commeatum totius aestatis,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 25, § 62: “petere,” Vell. 2, 11, 2; Suet. Tib. 10; id. Ner. 35; id. Galb. 6; id. Claud. 23: “sumere,” Liv. 3, 46, 10: “dare,” id. 3, 46, 9; Suet. Calig. 29: “accipere,” Plin. Ep. 3, 4, 2: “in commeatu esse,” to be on furlough, Liv. 33, 29, 4: “commeatu abesse,” Suet. Tib. 72; Dig. 4, 6, 35, § 9: “in iis stativis satis liberi commeatus erant,” Liv. 1, 57, 4: “(legiones) promiscuis militum commeatibus infirmaverat,” Tac. A. 15, 10; cf. id. H. 1, 46: “cum miles ad commeatus diem non adfuit,” on the day when the furlough expired, Quint. 7, 4, 14; cf. Auct. Her. 1, 14, 24: “commeatūs spatium excedere,” Dig. 49, 16, 14: “ultra commeatum abesse,” ib. 50, 1, 2, § 6.—Transf.: “cras igitur (sc. proficiscar), nisi quid a te commeatus,” Cic. Att. 13, 41 fin. dub. (al. commeat); v. Orell. N. cr.: “longum mihi commeatum dederat mala valetudo,” rest, Sen. Ep. 54, 1: “servitus assidua... sine intervallo, sine commeatu,” id. Q. N. 3, praef. § 16.—
C. A train, a convoy, caravan, a company carried, a transportation, trip, passage: “Londinium copiā negotiatorum et commeatuum maxime celebre,” Tac. A. 14, 33; 13, 39; Suet. Ner. 20: “duobus commeatibus exercitum reportare instituit,” Caes. B. G. 5, 23: secundum commeatum in Africam mittit ad Caesarem, Auct. B. Afr. 34: commeatibus per municipia ac colonias dispositis, supplies of provisions, relays of horses, etc., Suet. Tib. 38: “cerneres canes... per omnem nostrum commeatum morsibus ambulare,” App. M. 8, p. 209, 18.—
D. Provisions, supplies (very freq., esp. in the histt., in sing. and plur.): interclude inimicis commeatum; “tibi muni viam, Quā cibatus commeatusque ad te et legiones tuas Tuto possit pervenire,” Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 70 sq.; cf.: “importare in coloniam,” id. Ep. 3, 2, 7: “ex omnibus provinciis commeatu et publico et privato prohibebamur,” Cic. Imp. Pomp. 17, 53: “ne foro quidem et commeatu juvare populum Romanum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 21, § 52: “commeatu nostros prohibere,” Caes. B. G. 2, 9 fin.: “neque exercitum sine magno commeatu atque molimento in unum locum contrahere posse,” id. ib. 1, 34; Quint. 8, 6, 26: “maritimi,” Liv. 5, 54, 4: “ex montibus invecti,” id. 9, 13, 10: “advecti,” id. 9, 32, 2: “convecto,” id. 2, 14, 3 al.; Suet. Calig. 43: “magni commeatus frumenti Romam subvecti,” Liv. 28, 4, 7.—
2. Freq. opp. frumentum, the remaining supplies of war: “ad Vesontionem rei frumentariae commeatūsque causā moratur,” Caes. B. G. 1, 39: “uti frumento commeatuque Caesarem intercluderet,” id. ib. 1, 48; 3, 6; 3, 23 fin.; cf. Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 70 supra.—*
E. Transf.: “commeatus argentarius,” gain acquired by money transactions, Plaut. Ps. 1, 5, 9.