commĕātus (conm-), ūs, m. [commeo].
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, Ap. Met. 8, 17, 15.—
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, id. 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.