Pluteus, plutei, m. g. Cæs. An engine of war made of hurdles, couered with leather or fackcloth, vnder whiche, men approched to walles in the besieging of a cicie. Pluteus. Suet. A bedsteede.Plutei. Festus. Bourdes, with which anie thing is compassed or inclosed.Pluteum.The space or distance whereby the lower pillers were separated from the higher in the front or foreparte. Plutei. Iuuenal. An hutch, case, or coffer, or other thing to pnt bookes or painted tables in. Pluteus. Persius. A little bolow deske like a coffer whereon men do write.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
plŭtĕus, i, m., less freq. plŭtĕum, i, n.I.A penthouse, shed, or mantlet, made of hurdles covered with raw hides, and used to protect besiegers (cf. vineae): plutei crates corio crudo intentae, quae solebant opponi militibus opus facientibus, et appellabantur militares. Nunc etiam tabulae, quibus quid praesepitur, eodem nomine dicuntur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 231 Müll.; cf. Veg. Mil. 4, 15: pluteos praeferre, Amm. 21, 12, 6; so Caes. B. C. 2, 9; Liv. 21, 61, 10 al.—Transf.: ad aliquem vineam pluteosque agere, i. e.
to turn all one's weapons against him
, Plaut. Mil. 2, 2, 111.—II.A permanent breastwork, a parapet, on towers, etc.: pluteos vallo addere, Caes. B. G. 7, 41: plutei turrium, id. ib. 7, 25; id. B. C. 3, 24: rates a fronte atque ab utroque latere, cratibus ac pluteis protegebat, id. ib. 1, 25, 9; 2, 15, 3: viminei, Amm. 19, 5, 1: locus consaeptus cratibus pluteisque, Liv. 10, 38, 5.—III.The back-board, back, of a settee or couch, Suet. Calig. 26; so of the couch on which guests reclined at table: somni post vina petuntur, ... puer pluteo vindice tutus erat, Mart. 3, 91, 10.—2.Meton., a couch, dining-couch, Prop. 4 (5), 8, 68.—IV.The board on which a corpse is placed, Mart. 8, 44, 13.—V.A book-shelf, bookcase, desk, Pers. 1, 106; with busts upon it, Juv. 2, 7; cf. Dig. 29, 1, 17, 4; Sid. Ep. 2, 9.—VI.A partition-wall between two columns, a balustrade, parapet, Vitr. 4, 4, 1.