centŭrĭa, ae, f. [centum], orig., an assemblage or a division consisting of a hundred things of a kind; hence in gen., any division, even if it consists not of a hundred.
I In agricult., a number of acres of ground , Varr. L. L. 5, 4, 10, § 35; cf. id. R. R. 1, 10 fin. ; 18, 5; Col. 5, 1, 7; Hyg. Lim. p. 154 Goes.—
II In milit. lang., a division of troops , a century , company : centuriae, quae sub uno centurione sunt, quorum centenarius justus numerus, Varr. L. L. 5, 16, 26, § 88, p. 26 Bip.: centuriae tres equitum, Ramnenses, Titienses, Luceres, Liv. 1, 13, 8: in legione sunt centuriae sexaginta, manipuli triginta, cohortes decem, Cincius ap. Gell. 16, 4, 6; cf. Veg. Mil. 2, 13 sq.; Caes. B. C. 1, 64; 3, 91; Sall. J. 91, 1.—
III Of the Roman people, one of the one hundred and ninety-three orders into which Servius Tullius divided the Roman people according to their property , a century , Cic. Rep. 2, 22, 39 sq. Moser; Liv. 1, 43, 1 sq.; cf. Dion. Halic. 4, 16 sq.; Nieb. Röm. Gesch. 1, p. 477 sq.—Hence the assemblies in which they voted acc. to centuries were called comitia centuriata; v. 1. centurio. The century designated by lot as voting first was called centuria praerogativa, Cic. Planc. 20, 49; v. praerogativus; cf. Dict. of Antiq.