excŭbĭae, ārum, f. [excubo], a lying out of the house.
I In gen., Plaut. Cas. prol. 54.—Far more freq. and class.,
II In partic., a lying out on guard , a watching , keeping watch (cf.: custodia, vigiliae, insomnia): si haec arma, si Capitolinae cohortes, si excubiae, si vigiliae, etc., Cic. Mil. 25, 67; id. Phil. 7, 9, 24; id. Planc. 42, 101; Tac. A. 13, 18; id. H. 4, 11; Suet. Aug. 23; 30; Verg. A. 9, 159 et saep.: tristes (i. e. severae) vigilum canum, Hor. C. 3, 16, 3: grues excubias habent nocturnis temporibus, Plin. 10, 23, 30, § 59.—Poet.: centum aras posuit vigilemque sacraverat ignem, Excubias divum aeternas, Verg. A. 4, 200. —
B Transf., concr., persons keeping watch , a watch , guard : num excubias transiret, Tac. A. 14, 44: inter excubias militum pernoctavit, Suet. Claud. 10.