Lewis & Short

2. mĕto, messŭi (Cato ap. Prisc. p. 903 P.; Mart. Cap. 3, § 319), messum, 3, v. a. and n. [root ma-; Gr. ἀμάω, mow, reap; ἄμη, sickle; cf. messis, messor], to reap, mow, crop; of the vintage, to gather, gather in, collect; and poet. of the sucking of honey from flowers (class.).

  1. I. 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.
  2. II. Transf.
    1. A. 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.
      1. 2. 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 δ’ ἔχει βίον θερίζειν), Poët. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 25, 59.
    2. B. 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).