portĭcus, ūs, f. (also heteroclit. acc. plur. PORTICOS, Inscr. Orell. 4043) [porta], a walk covered by a roof supported on columns, a colonnade, piazza, arcade, gallery, porch, portico, = στοά.
I Lit.: omnes porticus commetiri, Plaut. Most. 3, 3, 7: porticum aedificare, id. ib. 3, 2, 69; Cic. Att. 4, 16, 14: inambulare in porticu, id. Rep. 1, 12, 18: viae latae, porticus, etc., id. ib. 3, 31, 43: porticuum laxitas, Suet. Calig. 37: porticuum, id. Dom. 14; Vitr. 5, 1: in amplis porticibus, Verg. A. 3, 353; cf. id. ib. 2, 528: me porticus excepit, Hor. S. 1, 4, 134; id. Ep. 1, 1, 71: porticus, in quā gestetur dominus, Juv. 7, 178: triplex, Vulg. Ezech. 42, 3.—In the upper story, Dig. 39, 2, 47.—
II Transf. *
A The entrance or porch of a tent (poet.): saucii opplent porticus, the porches , Att. ap. Cic. Tusc. 2, 16, 38.—
B A weather-board , shed , Col. 9 praef. § 2; 9, 7, 4; 9, 14, 14.—
2 A long shed or gallery to protect soldiers in sieges, Caes. B. C. 2, 2, 3.—
3 The Porch or Portico , meaning the school of the Stoics (from στοά, porch, the place where Zeno taught); hence, transf., the Stoic philosophy , the Stoics : Chrysippus, qui fulcire putatur porticum Stoicorum, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 24, 75; cf. Hor. S. 2, 3, 44: clamat Zeno et tota illa porticus tumultuatur, Cic. Fragm. ap. Aug. contr. Ac. 3, 7; Gell. 12, 5, 10.