mensūra . ae, f. [metior], a measuring, measure (class.).
I Lit.: mensuram facere alicujus, Ov. A. A. 3, 265: agere, to measure, survey , Plin. Ep. 10, 28, 5: inire. Col. 5, 3: res (quae) pondere numero mensura constant, Gai. Inst. 2, 196.—
II Transf., a measure , by which any thing is measured: majore mensurā reddere, Cic. Off. 1, 15, 48: qui modus mensurae medimnus appellatur, kind of measure , Nep. Att. 2, 6: mensuras et pondera invenit Phidon Argivus, aut Palamedes, Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 198: ex aquā, i. e. clepsydra, Caes. B. G. 5, 13: quicquid sub aurium mensuram aliquam cadit, numerus vocatur, Cic. Or. 20, 67: de mensura jus dicere, Juv. 10, 101. —
B Trop., measure, quantity, proportion, capacity, power, extent, degree , etc.: dare alicui mensuram bibendi, to prescribe how much one may drink , Ov. A. A. 1, 589: nostri orbis, Tac. Agr. 12: beneficii, Plin. Ep. 10, 12, 2: qui tanti mensuram nominis imples, i. e. who answerest to its meaning, art worthy of it , Ov. P. 1, 2, 1: ficti crescit, measure, size , id. M. 12, 57: sui, one's own measure , i. e. capacity , Juv. 11, 35: sed deerat pisci patinae mensura, was too small , Juv. 4, 72: nuribus Argolicis fui Mensura voti, I was the measure of their wishes , i. e. they desired to have as much as I possessed , Sen. Herc. Oet. 400: submittere se ad mensuram discentis, to accommodate one's self to the capacity of the learner , Quint. 2, 3, 7: legati, character, standing . Tac. H. 1, 52: mensura tamen quae sufficiat census, how large a fortune , Juv. 14. 316.—In painting: Apelles cedebat Asclepiodoro de mensuris, hoc est quanto quid a quoque distare deberet, the degree of prominence, and relative distances, of parts of a picture , Plin. 35, 10, 36, § 80.—In gram.: mensurae verborum, the quantities of their syllables , Quint. 10, 1, 10.