cautio (old uncontr. form cauitio, acc. to Paul. ex Fest. p. 61 Mull.), ōnis, f. caveo, a guarding or taking care of one's self, wariness, precaution, caution, heedfulness, circumspection, εὐλάβεια (besides the comic poets, mostly in Cic.). In gen.: a malis natura declinamus: quae declinatio, si cum ratione fiet, cautio appelletur; quae autem sine ratione, nominetur metus, Cic. Tusc. 4, 6, 13: cautio et timiditas, id. de Or. 2, 74, 300: omnium horum vitiorum atque incommodorum una cautio est atque una provisio, ut ne, id. Lael. 21, 78: cautio ac diligentia, id. Font. 1, 2; id. Att. 1, 19, 8; initium suspitionis et cautionis et diligentiae, id. Fam. 9, 24, 1.

— (Mihi) cautio est = cavendum est, caution is necessary (a colloquial phrase), Plaut. Bacch. 4, 2, 15; id. Poen. 1, 3, 36; id. Ps. 1, 2, 38; Ter. And. 2, 3, 26; id. Ad. 3, 3, 67: mea cautio est, I must see to it, Cic. Att. 5, 4, 4 (al. captio).

— Res cautionem habet. The matter requires caution: habet multas cautiones, Cic. Off. 1, 14, 42.

— The matter admits of caution, Cic. Fam. 11, 21, 3.

— T. t., in law, that by which one places himself or another in safety, an obligation, security, bond, warranty, Uail (written or oral): quoniam vestrae cautiones infirmae sunt, Graeculam tibi misi cautionem chirographi mei, Cic. Fam. 7, 18, 1; v. such a written bond in Dig. 12, 1, 40: prolatis cautionibus, Sen. Ben. 3, 7, 7: cavere, Dig. 46, 8, 6: offerre, ib. 40, 4, 50: interponere, ib. 44, 1, 11: cautionem praebere alicui indemnitatis, ib. 3, 5, 30 et saep.

—With acc. and inf., Suet. Aug. 98.

—Of an oral warranty, pledge, Cic. Sest. 7, 15.