Lewis & Short

ē-mĕrĕo, ŭi, ĭtum, 2, v. a., and (perh. not ante-Aug.) ē-mĕrĕor, ĭtus, 2, v. dep. a.

  1. I. To obtain by service, to gain, earn, merit, deserve.
    1. A. In gen. (rare; not in Cic.): quid ego emerui mali? Plaut. Aul. 4, 10, 5: honores, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 61: mihi altior sollicitudo, quale judicium hominum, emererer, accessit, Quint. 4, prooem. § 1; cf.: emerendi favoris gratia canunt, id. 4, 1, 2: pecuniam ex eo quaestu uberem, Gell, 6, 7, 5.
      Poet., with inf. clause as object: Ennius emeruit Contiguus poni, Scipio magne, tibi, Ov. A. A. 3, 410; cf. id. F. 4, 58.
      Pass., in the part. perf.: emerito caput insere caelo, Sil. 7, 19; so id. 11, 464; Sid. Carm. 2, 209.
    2. B. In Tib. and Ov. emerere aliquem, like demereri aliquem, to gain the favor of any one, to deserve well of, to lay under obligation: viros, Tib. 1, 9, 60; Ov. Tr. 4, 8, 52; id. Am. 2, 8, 24; id. Her. 6, 138.
      Far more frequent,
  2. II. To serve out, complete one’s term of service.
    1. A. Prop., in milit. lang.: spes emerendi stipendia, Liv. 25, 6; in part. perf.: emerita stipendia, Sall. J. 84, 2 Kritz.; Cic. de Sen. 14, 49; Liv. 3, 57; 21, 43 al.: militia, Suet. Calig. 44: arma, Plin. Pan. 15, 3: anni, Ov. Tr. 4, 8, 21; cf. id. F. 3, 43.
      As a v. dep.: stipendia emeritus, Val. Max. 6, 1, 10.
      Hence, subst. ēmĕrĭ-tus, i, m., a soldier who has served out his time, a veteran, an exempt, Tac. A. 1, 28; Suet. Aug. 24; Luc. 1, 344 al.
    2. B. Transf. beyond the milit. sphere: annuum tempus (sc. magistratus) emeritum habere, Cic. Att. 6, 5, 3; cf.: annuae operae emerentur, id. ib. 6, 2, 6: spatium juventae (homo) transit, et emeritis medii quoque temporis annis, etc., Ov. M. 15, 226.
      In part. perf.: emeritus, a, um (since the Aug. per. in the mid. signif.), that has become unfit for service, worn out: equi, Ov. F. 4, 688; cf.: apes fessae et jam emeritae, Plin. 11, 11, 11, § 27; so, palmes, id. 17, 23, 35, § 206: aratrum, Ov. F. 1, 665: latus (with invalidum), id. Am. 3, 11, 14: acus, Juv. 6, 498: rogus, i. e. burned out, extinguished, Prop. 4 (5), 11, 72.