jānua, ae, f. Janus, i. e. ianus, from i, ire; cf. Sanscr. yāna, itio, incessus, from yā, ire, a door, house-door. Lit.: principem in sacrificando Janum esse voluerunt, quod ab eundo nomen est ductum: ex quo transitiones perviae, jani; foresque in liminibus profanarum aedium januae nominantur, Cic. N. D. 2, 27, 67: claudere, Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 26, § 66: januam occludere, Plaut. Aul. 1, 2, 11: pultare, id. Poen. 3, 4, 30: ante ostium et januam, id. Pers. 5, 1, 6: indiligenter observare, id. As. 2, 2, 7: reserare, Ov. H. 4, 141: frangere, Hor. S. 1, 2, 128.

—The dog was commonly chained there; hence, janua mordax, Plaut. Truc. 2, 4, 1; cf. id. Most. 3, 2, 126 sq.

— Transf., an entrance of any sort: inferni janua regis, Verg. A. 6, 106; cf.: atri janua Ditis, id. ib. 6, 127: mortis, Sil. 11, 187: leti, Val. Fl. 4, 23: cum eam urbem sibi Mithridates Asiae januam fore putasset, the key of Asia, Cic. Mur. 15, 33: hic locus est gemini janua vasta maris, Ov. Tr. 1, 10, 32.

— Trop., an entrance, approach: qua nolui janua sum ingressus in causam, Cic. Planc. 3, 8: facillime vos ad ea, quae cupitis, perventuros, ab hoc aditu januaque patefacta, id. de Or. 1, 47, 204: illa januam Famae patefecit, Plin. Ep. 1, 18, 4; Val. Fl. 4, 231: vultus ac frons, quae est animi janua, Q. Cic. Pet. Cons. 11, 44: ego sum ostium, Vulg. Johan. 10, 2.