scŭtŭla (noun F) : dim.scutra; cf. scutella.
* Lit., a little dish or platter of a nearly square form (cf. lanx), Cato, R. R. 68, 1; Mart. 11, 31, 19; 8, 71, 7.
* Transf., of figures thus shaped, a diamond-, rhomb-, or lozenge-shaped figure: (pavimenta) si sectilia sunt, nulli gradus in scutulis aut trigonis aut quadratis seu favis exstent,Vitr. 7, 1; so of a tesselated floor,Pall. 1, 9, 5; of checkered stuffs,Plin. 8, 48, 74, § 196 (cf. scutulatus); id. 17, 16, 26, § 118.—Of the shape of a country: formam totius Britanniae eloquentissimi auctores oblongae scutulae vel bipenni assimulavere,Tac. Agr. 10.—Of a patch on the eye, for a disguise: scutula ob oculos lanea,Plaut. Mil. 4, 4, 42.

scŭtŭla | scy-tăla | scytălē (noun F) : (in a Greek orthog. or ; v. II. and III.), , , = σκυτάλη (a staff, stick).
* A wooden roller or cylinder: quattuor biremes, subjectis scutulis, impulsas vectibus in interiorem partem transduxit,Caes. B. C. 3, 40, 4.
* A secret writing, secret letter among the Lacedaemonians (it being written on a slip of papyrus wrapped round a σκυτάλη; pure Lat. clava): scytala,Nep. Paus. 3, 4: scytale,Aus. Ep. 23, 23; cf. Gell. 17, 9, 15 (written as Greek, Cic. Att. 10, 10, 3, habes σκυτάλην Λακωνικήν).
* A cylindrical snake (of equal thickness throughout), Plin. 82, 5, 19, § 53; Luc. 9, 717; Sol. 27, § 30; cf. Col. 6, 17. 1.