I. A multitude issuing forth or flying out, a swarm. Primarily and class. of a swarm of bees: “res rusticae laetae sunt tum pecudum pastu, apium examinibus, florum omnium varietate,” Cic. de Sen. 15 fin.; so, “apium,” id. Off. 1, 44, 157; id. Div. 1, 33 fin.; Liv. 4, 33 et saep.; cf. Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 29; Col. 9, 3 fin.; 9, 4 fin. et saep.; Plin. 11, 10, 10, § 23; Verg. G. 2, 452; 4, 21; 103 et saep.—
B. Transf., a multitude, crowd, shoal, swarm (freq. only after the Aug. per.): “locustarum,” Liv. 42, 10: “piscium,” Plin. 31, 1, 1, § 2: “pullorum (arboris),” Lucr. 5, 1364: “juvenum,” Hor. C. 1, 35, 31: “infantium,” Plin. Pan. 26, 1; cf. Just. 25, 2 fin.: “vernarum,” Hor. Epod. 2, 65; cf. “servorum,” Cic. Harusp. Resp. 12, 25: “Graium vatum,” Stat. S. 5, 3, 284: “stuprorum (i. e. feminarum stupratarum),” Prop. 2, 32, 41 (3, 30, 41 M.) et saep.—In late Lat. even of abstract things: “malorum,” Arn. 2, p. 46: maerorum, id. fin.: “aetatum,” Amm. 21, 5: “dilationum,” id. 30, 4 et saep.—
II. A means of examining; hence, the tongue of a balance (very rare): examen est ligula vel lignum, quod mediam hastam ad pondera adaequanda tenet, Schol. Pers. 1, 6; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 80, 14: Juppiter ipse duas aequato examine lances Sustinet, Verg. A. 12, 725; Cod. Theod. 12, 7, 1.—
B. Trop., a weighing, consideration, examination: “examenve improbum in illa Castiges trutina,” Pers. 1, 6: “legum,” Ov. M. 9, 552; cf. “vitae,” Stat. S. 3, 3, 203.
