tractātĭo, ōnis, f. [tracto].
I In gen., a handling , management , treatment (class.): nec vero qui fidibus aut tibiis uti volunt, ab haruspicibus accipiunt earum tractationem, sed a musicis, Cic. Div. 2, 3, 9: armorum, id. de Or. 3, 52, 200: beluarum, id. Off. 2, 5, 17: magnarum rerum, id. Rep. 3, 3, 5: tractatio atque usus vocis, id. Or. 18, 59: usus et tractatio dicendi, id. de Or. 1, 23, 109: philosophiae, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 2, 6: litterarum, id. Brut. 4, 15: assidua veterum scriptorum, Gell. 5, 21, 3: quaestionum, Quint. 4, 5, 6: reipublicae, Sen. Tranq. 3, 1: est in utroque (in poësi et in oratione solutā) et materia et tractatio, materia in verbis, tractatio in collocatione verborum, Cic. Or. 59, 201.—
II In partic.
A Treatment of a person, i. e. conduct , behavior towards him (post-Aug., and mostly in jurid. lang.): maritus uxori, si malae tractationis accusabitur, non inverecunde dicet, etc., of maltreatment , Quint. 7, 4, 10 sq.; so id. 7, 4, 24; 7, 4, 29; 7, 3, 2; 4, 2, 30; 9, 2, 79; Sen. Contr. 3, 7; Tert. Poen. fin. —
B In rhet. lang.
1 A rhetorical figure, the treatment , handling , discussion of a subject, Cic. de Or. 2, 41, 177; Quint. 9, 1, 33; Sen. Contr. 1, 1 med. —
2 A special use , usage of a word, Cic. Part. Or. 5, 17.