lĭtŭus (noun M) : (
* Gen. plur. lituum, Luc. 1, 237; Val. Fl. 6, 166; Sil. 13, 146), m. prob. Etruscan; prim. signif. crooked.
* Lit.
* The crooked staff borne by the augurs, an augur's crook or crosier, augural wand: dextra manu baculum sine nodo aduncum tenens, quem lituum appellaverunt,Liv. 1, 18, 7; cf.: lituus iste vester, quod clarissimum est insigne auguratus,Cic. Div. 1, 17. 30; Geh. 5, 7, 8: Quirinalis,Verg. A. 7, 187: lituo pulcher trabeaque Quirinus,Ov. F. 6, 375.
* Transf., a signal: de lituis, βοώπιδος, Cic. Att. 2, 12, 2.
* Trop., an instigator, author: lituus meae profectionis,Cic. Att. 11, 12, 1.

s. TLL