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mēta, ae, f. [root ma-, measure, whence Gr. μέτρον; Lat. manus, mane, etc. (q. v.), properly, that which marks a measured space, hence], any mark at a boundary or limit, esp.,

  1. I. The conical columns set in the ground at each end of the Roman Circus, the goal, turning-post: metaque fervidis Evitata rotis, Hor. C. 1, 1, 5: aut prius infecto deposcit praemia cursu Septima quam metam triverit ante rota, Prop. 3, 20, 25; cf.: et modo lora dabo, modo verbere terga notabo, Nunc stringam metas interiore rotā, Ov. Am. 3, 2, 11; Suet. Caes. 39: petra in metae maxime modum erecta est, cujus ima spatiosiora sunt, altiora in artius coëunt, summa in acutum cacumen exsurgunt, i. e. in the shape of a cone, Curt. 8, 39, 6; cf. III. 3. infra).
  2. II. Any goal or winning-post, the mark, goal, in any contest of speed: optatam cursu contingere metam, of a footrace, Hor. A. P. 412: metam tenere, in a boatrace, Verg. A. 5, 159.
      1. 2. Trop. (because of the danger to drivers of striking the goal, and breaking their oars), a critical point, place of danger: fama adulescentis paulum haesit ad metas, notitiā novā mulieris, broke down, failed, at the critical point, Cic. Cael. 31.
  3. III. Transf., an end, period, extremity, boundary, limit: longarum haec meta viarum, Verg. A. 3, 714: ad metas aevi pervenire, id. ib. 10, 472: metam tangere vitae, Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 1: ad metam properare, id. A. A. 2, 727: ultima, id. Am. 3, 15, 2: hic tibi mortis erant metae, Verg. A. 12, 546: ad quas metas naturae sit perveniendum usu, i. e. extremes, Varr. L. L. 8, 16, 31: quando illa (luna) incurrat in umbram terrae, quae est meta noctis, eam obscurari necesse est, the limit, measure of night, Cic. Div. 2, 6, 17 (but v. 3. below, fin. and the passage there cited from Pliny): sol ex aequo metā distabat utrāque, equally far from both ends of his course, i. e. at noon, Ov. M. 3, 145: intercalariis mensibus interponendis ita dispensavit (Numa), ut vices uno anno ad metam eandem solis unde orsi essent … dies congruerent, Liv. 1, 19, 6 Weissenb. ad loc.: metae Marsicae, = fines Marsorum, Mart. Cap. 4, § 331 Kapp: pares horarum metas, tam antemeridialium quam postremarum, manifestant, id. 6, § 600.
      1. 2. A turning-point in one’s course: praestat Trinacrii metas lustrare Pachyni, to sail around the promontory of Pachynus, Verg. A. 3, 429.
      2. 3. Of any thing resembling in shape the meta of the Circus; any thing of a conical or pyramidal form, a cone, pyramid (class.); of a conical hill: ipse collis est in modum metae, in acutum cacumen a fundo satis lato fastigatus, Liv. 37, 27: buxus in metas emittitur, into cones, Plin. 16, 16, 28, § 70: in metas foenum exstruere, in ricks, haycocks, Col. 2, 18, 2: lactantes, conical cheeses, Mart. 1, 44, 7: lactis, id. 3, 58, 35: meta sudans, a conical stone on a fountain, dripping with water, Sen. Ep. 56, 4: meta molendaria, or molendinaria, that part of the upper millstone which projects downward and grinds the corn (the upper part is the catillus, q. v.); = Gr. ὄνος ἀλέτης, Dig. 33, 7, 18, § 5: metas molendinarias rotare, Amm. 17, 4, 15: si minor materia quam lux, metae existere effigiem, i. e. if the solid body be smaller than the light, its shadow will be conical, Plin. 2, 11, 8, § 51 (cf. the context).

† mĕtăbŏlē, ēs, f., = μεταβολή, the transition to another key or set of tones, Fulg. Myth. 3, 9, p. 128 Muncker: cf. written as Greek, Quint. 9, 4, 50.

Mĕtăbus, i, m.

  1. I. A king of the Volsci, father of Camilla, Verg. A. 11, 540; Hyg. Fab. 252.
  2. II. A son of Sisyphus, the founder of Metapontum, Serv. ad Verg. A. 11, 540.

† mĕtăcismus, i, m. [for mytacismus, = μυτακισμός, from μῦ], a frequent repetition of the letter M, Mart. Cap. 5, § 514; also the pronunciation of M at the close of a word before a word beginning with a vowel, metacism, Diom. p. 448 P.

† Mĕtăgōge[dibreve]ŭs ĕi, m., = μεταγωγεύς, he who leads around; Lat. circumductor, one of the aeons of Valentinian, Tert. adv. Valent. 10.

Mĕtăgon, ontis, m., = Μετάγων, the name of a dog, Grat. Cyn. 209.

Metalces, ae, m., = Μεταλκής, one of the fifty sons of Ægyptus, slain by his wife Cleopatra, Hyg. Fab. 170.

† metălepsis, is, f., = μετάληψις, in rhetoric, the use of one word for another which it suggests by association, as, the cause for the effect, or the reverse; especially when a second substitution is made, as when aristae is said for messis, and then for aestas or annus: est haec in metalepsi natura, ut inter id, quod transfertur, sit medius quidam gradus, nihil ipse significans, sed praebens transitum, Quint. 8, 6, 38: in metalepsin cadit, id. 6, 3, 52.

mētālis, e, adj. [meta, III. 3], conical (post-class.): forma, Paul. ex Fest. s. v. tutulum, p. 335 Müll.
Hence, adv.: mētālĭ-ter, conically (post-class.): majus corpus ejus quo umbra metaliter jacitur, quam umbra ipsa, Mart. Cap. 8, § 859; id. 8, § 870.

mĕtallārĭus, ii, m., and mĕtallā-rĭa, ae, f. [metallum], a man or a woman that works in a mine, a miner (post-class.), Cod. Just. 11, 6, 7.

mĕtallĭcus, a, um, adj. [metallum], of or belonging to metal, metallic (post-Aug.).

  1. I. Adj.: molybdaena metallica, Plin. 34, 18, 53, § 173: natura, id. 27, 4, 5, § 15.
  2. II. Subst.: mĕtallĭcus, i, m.
    1. A. A digger of metals, a mine-digger, miner: lavant eas arenas metallici, Plin. 34, 16, 47, § 157; Cod. Just. 11, 6, 7.
    2. B. A person condemned to the mines, Dig. 48, 19, 10.
    3. C. A worker in stone, Cassiod. Var. 7, 15.

mĕtallĭfer, fĕra, fĕrum, adj. [metallum-fero], yielding or abounding in metal, metalliferous (poet.): terra, Sil. 15, 500: Luna, Stat. S. 4, 4, 23.

Metallinensis, e, or Metellinen-sis, e, adj. [Metallinum], of or belonging to the town of Metallinum (in Lusitania), Metallinian: colonia, Plin. 4, 21, 35, § 117.

† mĕtallum, i, n., = μέταλλον, a mine or quarry, of gold, silver, iron, or stone; voc. metalle, as if from metallus, Spart. Pesc. Nig. 126.

  1. I. Lit., the place where metals are dug, a mine: metalla vetera intermissa recoluit, et nova multis locis instituit, Liv. 39, 24: sandaracae, Vitr. 7, 7, 5: aurifera, gold-mines, Luc. 3, 209: silicum, stone-quarry, id. 4, 304: miniarium, Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 118: praeter annuum, quod ex metallis regiis capia, vectigal, Liv. 42, 12: herba tantae suavitatis, ut metallum esse coeperit, a mine, i. e. that a tax was raised from it as from a mine, Plin. 21, 7, 20, § 44: damnare in metallum, to condemn to labor in the mines or quarries: damnatus in metallum, Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 8: condemnare aliquem ad metalla, Suet. Calig. 27: mediocrium delictorum poenae sunt metallum, ludus, deportatio, Paul. Sent. 5, 17, 3; 5, 3, 5: dare aliquem in metallum, Dig. 48, 19, 8: metallo plecti, ib. 47, 11, 7: puniri, ib. 48, 13, 6.
  2. II. Transf., the product of a mine or quarry.
      1. 1. A metal, as gold, silver, or iron: ubicumque una inventa vena argenti est, non procul invenitur alia. Hoc quidem et in omni fere materia: unde metalla Graeci videntur dixisse, Plin. 33. 6, 31, § 96: auri, Verg. A. 8, 445: potior metallis libertas, i. e. gold and silver, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 39: aeris, Verg. G. 2, 165: pejoraque saecula ferri temporibus, quorum … nomen a nullo posuit natura metallo, Juv. 13, 30.
      2. 2. Other things dug from the earth.
          1. (α) Marble, Stat. S. 4, 3, 98.
          2. (β) Precious stone: radiantium metalla gemmarum, Pacat. Pan. 4.
          3. (γ) Chalk: admiscetur creta … Campani negant alicam confici sine eo metallo posse, Plin. 18, 11, 29, § 114.
          4. (δ) Sulphur: utque est ingenium vivacis metalli (sulphuris), App. M. 9. p. 228, 23.
            (ε) Salt: metallum fragile, Prud. Hamart. 744.
  3. III. Trop., metal, stuff, material: saecula meliore metallo, Claud. III. Cons. Hon. 184: mores meliore metallo, id. Cons. Mall. Theod. 137.

† mĕtămĕlos, i, m., = μετάμελος, repentance (ante-class.): metamelos, filius inconstantiae, Varr. ap. Non. 79, 23 (Büch. § 239).

† mĕtămorphōsis, is, f., = μεταμόρφωσις, a transformation, metamorphosis; in plur.: Mĕtămorphōses, -ĕōn, the Metamorphoses, a well-known poem of Ovid; in Gr. acc. plur. Metamorphoseis, Tert. adv. Val. 12: censeo eam rem ad metamorphosis Ovidi adiciendam, Sen. Apocol. 9, 5; in Gr. dat. plur.: ut Ovidius lascivire in Metamorphosesi solet, Quint. 4, 1, 77.

† mĕtănoea (quadrisyl.), ae, f., = μετάνοια, repentance (post-class.), Aus. Epigr. 12, 12.

† mĕtaphŏra, ae, f., = μεταφορά, a rhetorical figure, metaphor, a transferring of a word from its proper signification to another (called by Cic. de Or. 3, 38, 155, verbi translatio; post-Aug.), Quint. 8, 6, 18; (as Greek), id. 8, 6, 4 sqq.; Schol. Juv. 1, 169.

mĕtaphŏrĭcē, adv. [metaphora], metaphorically, figuratively (post-class.), Acron. ad Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 1.
Also mĕtaphŏrĭ-cōs, μεταφορικῶς, Acron. ad Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 29 sq.; Schol. Juv. 7, 103.

† mĕtăphrĕnum, i, n., = μετάφρενον, the upper part of the spine, Cael. Aur. Acut. 3, 16, 129 (as Greek, id. ib. 2, 29, 151; id. Tard. 3, 2, 31).

Mĕtăpīnus, a, um [etym. dub.], Metapinic, an epithet of the second or middle of the three principal mouths of the Rhone: cujus ora appellata … alterum Metapinum, Mart. Cap. 6, § 635; Plin. 3, 4, 5, § 32.

† mĕtaplasmus, i, m., = μεταπλασμός, a grammatical change, irregularity, metaplasm, e. g. in declension (post-Aug.): metaplasmus enim, et schematismos et schemata vocamus, Quint. 1, 8, 14; Mart. Cap. 3, § 326.

† mĕtaplastĭcōs, adv., = μεταπλαστικῶς, metaplastically, by the use of metaplasm: metaplasticos dicitur apud poëtas usurpari id quod propter necessitatem metri mutare consueverunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 153 Müll.

Mĕtăpontīnus, a, um, v. Metapontum.

Mĕtăpontum, i, n., a town of Lucania, where Pythagoras lived and died, now Torre a Mare, Cic. Fin. 5, 2, 4; Liv. 1, 18, 8; Mela, 2, 4, 3; Plin. 3, 11, 15, § 97.
Hence, Mĕtăpontīnus, a, um, adj., Metapontine: ager, Liv. 24, 20.
In plur.: Mĕtă-pontīni, ōrum, m., the Metapontines, Liv. 22, 61.

mētārĭus, a, um, adj. [meta], of or belonging to limits or boundaries (post-class.): metaria circumscriptio, a limiting by boundaries, Arn. 2, 70.

† mĕtastăsis, is, f., = μετάστασις, a rhet. figure.

  1. I. A refusing, Agn. Roman. de Fig. 16, p. 155.
  2. II. = metabasis, a passing over, transition, Julian. Rufin. de Schem. 23, p. 243.

† mĕtăsyncrĭtĭcus, a, um, adj., = μετασυγκριτικός, belonging to the discharge of peccant humors: adjutoria, Cael. Aur. Acut. 3, 16, 134: cyclus, id. Tard. 1, 1, 24; 2, 1, 49.

mĕtăthĕsis, is, f., = μετάθεσις, a transposition of the letters of a word, Diom. 2, p. 437 P.

mētātĭo, ōnis, f. [metor], a measuring or meting out, a marking off a place (postAug.): vinearum, Col. 7, 15, 1.

mētātor, ōris, m. [metor], one who metes out or marks off a place, a divider and fixer of boundaries (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: castrorum antea metator, nunc, ut sperat, urbis, Cic. Phil. 11, 5, 12; cf. id. ib. 14, 4, 10: templi, Lact. 4, 11.
  2. II. Trop., a measurer: tempus arbiter et metator initii et finis, Tert. adv. Marc. 1, 8.

mētātōrĭus, a, um, adj. [metator], of or pertaining to measuring out, transf. (post-class.): pagina, a letter relative to the providing of quarters, Sid. Ep. 8, 11.

mētātūra, ae, f. [metor], a measuring out, marking off a place (eccl. Lat.), Lact. 4, 11, 13.

Mĕtaurensis, e, adj. [Metaurus], of or belonging to the river Metaurus, in Umbria: AGER, Inscr. Oliv. Marm. Pisaur. n. 30.
Subst.: Mĕtaurenses, ĭum, m., the inhabitants of that region, Metaurians, Plin. 3, 14, 19, § 114.

Mĕtaurus, i, m., = Μέταυρος, the name of several rivers.

  1. I. A river in Umbria, celebrated for the defeat of Hasdrubal, the brother of Hannibal, now Meturo, Liv. 27, 43 sq.; Sil. 8, 486.
    Hence, Mĕtau-rus, a, um, adj., of Metaurus: Metaurum flumen, Hor. C. 4, 4, 38.
  2. II. A river in the Bruttian territory, now Marro, Plin. 3, 5, 10, § 73.

† mĕtaxa or mătaxa, ae, f., = μέταξα and μάταξα, raw silk, the web of silkworms.

  1. I. Lit., Dig. 39, 4, 16; Cod. Just. 11, 7, 10.
  2. II. Transf., a rope: lini metaxa, Lucil. ap. Fest. s. v. rodus, p. 265 Müll.; Vitr. 7, 3.

mĕtaxārĭi, ōrum, m. [metaxa], silkdealers (post-class.), Cod. Just. 8, 14, 27.