līmen, ĭnis, n. [Gr. λέχρις, λοξός; Lat. obliquus, līmus; hence prop. a cross-piece], a threshold; the head-piece or foot-piece of a doorway, the lintel or the sill (limen superum et inferum).
I Lit.: limen superum inferumque, salve, Plaut. Merc. 5, 1, 1: limen superum, quod mihi misero saepe confregit caput: Inferum autem, ubi ego omnis digitos defregi meos, Novius ap. Non. 336, 14: sensim super attolle limen pedes, nova nupta, Plaut. Cas. 4, 4, 1: imponere foribus, Plin. 36, 14, 21, § 96: ad limen consulis adesse, Liv. 2, 48: curiae, id. 3, 41: primo limine, at the outer threshold , Juv. 1, 96.— Plur. (poet.): haec limina, intra quae puer est, Juv. 14, 45; 220.—The moment of touching the threshold was regarded as ominous: ter limen tetigi, Ov. Tr. 1, 3, 55.—Prov.: salutare a limine, to greet in passing , i. e. to touch upon slightly, not go deeply into , Sen. Ep. 49, 6.—
B Transf.
1 A door, entrance : ubi hanc ego tetulero intra limen, Plaut. Cist. 3, 19: intrare intra limen, id. Men. 2, 3, 63: intra limen cohibere se, to keep within doors , id. Mil. 3, 1, 11: marmoreo stridens in limine cardo, Verg. Cir. 222; Hor. Ep. 1, 18, 73: fores in liminibus profanarum aedium januae nominantur, Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 67: ad valvas se templi limenque convertisse, Caes. B. C. 3, 105: penetrare aulas et limina regum, the courts and doors , Verg. G. 2, 504: ipso in limine portae, id. A. 2, 242; cf.: tremuitque saepe limite in primo sonipes, Sen. Agam. 629: famuli ad limina, doorkeepers, porters , Sil. 1, 66: in limine portūs, at the very entrance of the haven , Verg. A. 7, 598: densos per limina tende corymbos, Juv. 6, 52.—
2 Still more gen., a house, dwelling, abode : matronae nulla auctoritate virorum contineri limine poterant, in the house, at home , Liv. 34, 1: ad limen consulis adesse, etc., id. 2, 48: limine pelli, Verg. A. 7, 579.—
3 Poet., the barrier in a race-course: limen relinquunt, Verg. A. 5, 316.—
II Trop., both entrance and exit.
A A beginning, commencement (poet. and in post-Aug. prose): leti limine in ipso, Lucr. 6, 1157: in limine belli, Tac. A. 3, 74: in ipso statim limine obstare, Quint. 2, 11, 1: in limine victoriae, Curt. 6, 3, 10; 6, 9, 17; 9, 10, 26: a limine ipso mortis revocatus, Plin. 7, 44, 45, § 143; Sen. Ep. 22, 16; Just. 14, 3, 9.—
B An end, termination (post-class.): in ipso finitae lucis limine, Ap. Met. 11, 21, 28; cf.: limina sicut in domibus finem quendam faciunt, sic et imperii finem limen esse veteres voluerunt, Just. Inst. 1, 12, § 5.