Lewis & Short

† 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.