mensis, is (gen. plur. regularly mensium; freq. mensum, Plaut. Most. 1, 1, 78; Cic. Phil. 12, 9, 22; id. Verr. 2, 2, 74, 182 al.; Caes. B. G. 1, 5, 3; Ov. M. 8, 500; id. F. 5, 187; 424; Liv. 3, 24, 4; 3, 25, 4; Plin. 7, 11, 9, § 49 et saep.; v. Neue, Formenl. 1. p. 265 sq.), m. [root ma-, measure; Sanscr mas; Gr. μήν, the measure of time; cf. Goth. mena; Germ. Mond; Engl. moon, month], a month.
I Lit.: mensium nomina, Varr. L. L. 6, 4, § 33 Müll.; Censor 22: hunc mensem vortentem servare, the return of this month , i. e. a full year , Plaut. Pers. 4, 4, 76: septem menses sunt. quom in hasce aedis pedem nemo intro tulit, id. Most. 2, 2, 39: lunae cursus qui, quia mensa spatia conficiunt, menses nominantur, Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 69: annūm novūm voluerunt esse primum mensem Martium, Atta ap Serv. Verg. G. 1, 43: primo mense, at the beginning of the month , Verg. A. 6, 453: regnavit is quidem paucos menses, Cic. Lael. 12, 41; Hor. C. 2, 9, 6.—
B Esp., plur., the months , i. e. the fixed time, the period : mensis jam tibi actos vides, Plaut. Am. 1, 3, 2.—
II Transf., esp. in plur., the menses : prodest mulierum mensibus retardatis, Plin. 21, 21, 89, § 156; 22, 22, 40, § 83; 22, 25, 71, § 147; 23, 7, 71, § 138 et saep.—In sing.: a muliere incitati mensis, Plin. 17, 28, 47, § 267; 28, 7, 23, § 77.—Transf., of female animals, the yearly flux , Varr. R. R. 2, 7 med.