verb transitive intransitive

mĕto

3rd PP messŭi

(Cato ap. Prisc. p. 903 P.; Mart. Cap. 3, § 319), , root ma-; Gr. ἀμάω, mow, reap; ἄμη, sickle; cf. messis, messor

to reap, mow, crop;; to gather, gather in, collect;; sucking poetic

to reap, mow, crop; of the vintage, to gather, gather in, collect; and poet. of the sucking of honey from flowers (class.).

to gather; reap the flowers; gather the pollen •••

Lit.: cum est matura seges, metendum, Varr. R. R. 1, 50, 3: sunt autem metendi genera complura, Col. 2, 21, 2: in metendo occupatos, Caes. B. G. 4, 32: pabula falce, to cut, cut down, Ov. H. 6, 84: farra, id. F 2, 519: arva, Prop. 4 (5), 10, 30.—Prov.: ut sementem feceris, ita et metes, as you sow, so shall you reap, Cic. de Or. 2, 65, 261; cf.: ventum seminabunt et turbinem metent, Vulg. Os. 8, 7: qui seminant iniquitatem metet mala, id. Prov. 22, 8: mihi istic nec seritur, nec metitur, i. e. I have no share in it, it does not concern me, Plaut. Ep. 2, 2, 80: sibi quisque ruri metit, every one looks out for himself, id. Most. 3, 2, 112: Tibi aras, tibi occas, tibi seris; tibi item metes, id. Merc. prol. 71.—Of the vintage, to gather, etc.: postremus metito, Verg. G. 2, 410; so, vindemiam, Plin. 17, 22, 35, § 185.—Of bees: purpureosque metunt flores, reap the flowers, i. e. gather the pollen, Verg. G. 4, 54.—

by extension

to cut off, pluck off, crop poetic ••

In gen., to cut off, pluck off, crop (poet.): virgā lilia summa metit, Ov. F. 2, 706: barbam forfice, Mart. 7, 95, 12: capillos, id. 10, 83, 11: olus, to cut, gather, Calp. Ecl. 2, 74: et ferus in silvā farra metebat aper, laid waste, Ov. Am. 3, 10, 40: ille metit barbam, Juv. 3, 186. —

to mow down, cut down ••

In partic., in battle, to mow down, cut down: proxima quaeque metit gladio, Verg. A. 10, 513: primosque et extremos metendo Stravit humum, Hor. C. 4, 14, 31 tum Vesulum ense metit rapido, Sil. 10, 147: agmina plura metam, Val. Fl. 3, 670.—So of death: metit Orcus Grandia cum parvis, Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 178: vita omnibus metenda, ut fruges (transl. of the Greek of Euripid.: ἀναγκαίως δʼ ἔχει βίον θερίζειν), Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 25, 59.—

To inhabit poetic •

To inhabit a region (poet.): qui Batulum Nucrasque metunt, Sil. 8, 566 (cf. a like poetic transfer of the verbs colere, arare, serere, and bibere).

Perseus ID: n28955 Key: meto2