I.v. infra), f. describo (freq. in Cic.), a marking out, delineation, copy, transcript: in concreto.
I. Lit. (rare): “eadem caeli descriptio,” Cic. Rep. 6, 22; cf. id. ib. 1, 14: “explicate descriptionem imaginemque tabularum,” Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 77 fin. In plur.: “numeris aut descriptionibus aliquid explicare,” id. Tusc. 1, 17: “volutarum,” sketches, drawings, Vitr. 3, 3: “orbis terrarum,” maps, id. 8, 2 et saep. —Far more freq.,
II. Trop.
A. A representation, delineation, description: “nominis brevis et aperta descriptio,” Cic. Inv. 2, 18: “dilucida locorum,” Quint. 9, 2, 44: “regionum,” id. 4, 3, 12: “Siciliae,” id. 11, 3, 164: “convivii luxuriosi,” id. 8, 3, 66 et saep.—In rhetor., the delineating of character, Cic. Top. 22, 83; id. de Or. 3, 53, 205; Quint. 9, 1, 31; cf. Auct. Her. 4, 39, 51.—
B. A proper disposition, order, arrangement: “via descriptionis atque ordinis (in oratione),” id. de Or. 2, 9, 36: “aedificandi,” id. Off. 1, 39; “legionum et auxiliorum,” Suet. Tib. 30: “descriptio centuriarum classiumque non erat,” Liv. 4, 4, 2: “populi,” Vulg. 2 Reg. 24, 9.—In plur.: “descriptiones temporum,” id. Ac. 1, 3, 19 et saep. (Descriptio is often found in MSS. and edd. in the sense of distribution, division; but here the proper form is discriptio, e. g. Cic. Rep. 2, 22; id. de Off. 1, 7, 21 saep.)