excursĭo — Lewis & Short
excursĭo, ōnis, f.excurro,
I a running out or forth.
I Lit.
A In gen.:
status (oratoris) erectus et celsus: excursio moderata eaque rara,a stepping forwards, Cic. Or. 18, 59; so,
nec vultu nec manu nec excursionibus nimius,Quint. 1, 11, 3:
an intentione rei familiaris obeundae crebris excursionibus avocaris?excursions, Plin. Ep. 1, 3, 2:
longinquae aut breves,Dig. 33, 1, 13 fin.—
B In partic., milit. t. t., a sally, onset, attack; an excursion, inroad, invasion:
crebras ex oppido excursiones faciebant,Caes. B. G. 2, 30, 1:
copiae, quibus fines suos ab excursionibus hostium et latrociniis tueretur,Cic. Deiot. 8, 22:
equitatus,id. de Imp. Pomp. 6, 16:
via excursionibus barbarorum infesta,id. Prov. Cons. 2, 4; cf.:
oram maris infestam regiae naves excursionibus crebris faciebant,Liv. 37, 14, 3; 30, 11, 6; 30, 8, 4; 37, 38, 9 al.—
II Trop.
A In gen.: relinquendae erunt vacuae tabellae, in quibus libera adiciendo sit excursio. free room or play for insertions, Quint. 10, 3, 32:
ne qua ex ea narratione fiat excursio,digression, id. 4, 2, 103.—
B In partic. (acc. to I. B.), outset, commencement of a speech:
sed haec fuerit nobis, tamquam levis armaturae, prima orationis excursio,Cic. Div. 2, 10, 26:
prooemium, proxima huic narratio: propositio post hanc, vel ut quibusdam placuit, excursio,Quint. 2, 13, 1.