rēgŭla, ae, f. [rego], a straight piece of wood, ruler, rule (class.; cf.: norma, libella).
I Lit.: atque si id crederemus, non egeremus perpendiculis, non normis, non regulis, Cic. Fragm. ap. Non. 163, 2; cf. (with linea): perpendiculum, and norma, Vitr. 7, 3: materiam ad regulam et libellam exigere, Plin. 36, 25, 63, § 188; Col. 3, 13, 11 sq.: hoc cum regulā exploraveris aequale, Pall. 1, 9, 2.—
B Transf.
1 A straight staff; in gen., a stick , lath , bar (of wood or iron): quadratas regulas, quattuor patentes digitos, defigunt, Caes. B. C. 2, 10; Front. Strat. 3, 13, 6; Col. 6, 19, 3; 6, 26, 2; 12, 50, 10; Plin. 15, 1, 2, § 5; Cels. 8, 10; Vitr. 5, 10; Stat. Th. 6, 594: aurea, an ingot of gold , Vulg. Josue, 7, 21.—
2 A measuringrod : in regulā, in pondere, Vulg. Lev. 19, 35.—
3 In mechanics.
a Plur. , the two cheeks on each side of the channel in which the dart of the catapult lay; also called bucculae, Vitr. 10, 12.—
b The shank of a triglyph , Vitr. 4, 3.—
c The disks of an oilpress : quod si regulis olea prematur, et praelum et suculam et regulas dominum parare oportere, Dig. 19, 2, 19, § 2.—
II Trop., a rule , pattern , model , example (cf.: formula, praescriptio): fontem omnium bonorum in corpore esse: hanc normam, hanc regulam, hanc praescriptionem esse naturae, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 46, 140: regula, ad quam eorum dirigantur orationes, qui, etc., id. Opt. Gen. 7 fin. ; id. Fin. 1, 19, 63: regula, quā vera et falsa judicarentur, id. Brut. 41, 152: nos studia nostra nostrae naturae regulā metiamur, id. Off. 1, 31, 110: (lex est) juris atque injuriae regula, id. Leg. 1, 6, 19: regula totius philosophiae, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 9, 29; cf. id. N. D. 1, 16, 43: pravissima consuetudinis regula, id. Brut. 74, 258: mediocritatis regula, id. Off. 2, 17, 59: omnium una regula est, id. ib. 3, 31, 81: emendate loquendi regula, Quint. 1, 5, 1; so, loquendi, id. 1, 7, 1: sermonis, id. 1, 6, 44: morum, Mart. 11, 2, 3 et saep.: ad legem ac regulam compositum esse, Quint. 12, 10, 50; cf.: locuti sunt ad hanc regulam, id. 9, 4, 4: habeo regulam, ut talia visa vera judicem, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 18, 58: assit Regula, peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas, Hor. S. 1, 3, 118: secundam regulam nostram, Vulg. 2 Cor. 10, 15; cf. id. ib. v. 13, 16; id. Phil. 3, 16.—In plur. (only late Lat.), Gai. Inst. 3, § 142; Cod. Just. 1, 17, 2, § 10; Arn. 1, n. 59: regulae credendi, Aug. Doctr. Chr. 4, 9 init.