Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

messis, is (acc. sing. messim, Cato, R. R. 134; Plaut. Most. 1, 3, 5; id. Ep. 5, 2, 53; Varr. R. R. 3, 2, 6; v. Neue, Formenl. 1, p. 200), f. (masc.: non magno messe, Lucil. ap. Non. 213 fin.) [id.], a reaping and ingathering of the fruits of the earth, a harvest (class.).

  1. I. Lit.: messis proprio nomine dicitur in iis, quae metuntur, maxime in frumento, Varr. R. R. 1, 50, 1; Quint. 5, 9, 5; 8, 3, 8; Cic. de Or. 1, 58, 249; Verg. G. 1, 219 al.: seges matura messi, Liv. 2, 5: messem hordaceam facere, aream in messem creta praeparare, to get in the harvest, Plin. 18, 30, 71, § 295: messe amissā, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 54, § 125: messis feria, Cod. 3, 10, 2.
    Of the gathering of honey, Verg. G. 4, 231.
    1. B. Transf., concr., harvest.
      1. 1. The harvested crops, the harvest: illius immensae ruperunt horrea messes, Verg. G. 1, 49; id. ib. 1, 314; id. E. 8, 99; Just. 24, 7, 6: Cilicum et Arabum, the harvest of the Arabians, i. e. saffron and frankincense, Stat. S. 3, 3, 34: bellatura, the men that sprang from the dragon’s teeth sown by Cadmus, Claud. Laud. Stil. 1, 321.
      2. 2. The crops that are to be harvested, the standing crops, the harvest: messium incensores, vel vinearum olivarumve, Paul. Sent. 5, 20, 5: messes suas urere, prov., like vineta sua caedere, i. e. to destroy one’s own work (e. g. one’s own pupils), Tib. 1, 2, 98: adhuc tua messis in herba est, your wheat is still in the blade, i. e. you are premature in your expectations, Ov. H. 17, 263.
      3. 3. The time of harvest, harvest-time: si frigus erit, si messis, Verg. E. 5, 70.
        Poet. transf. for a year: sexagesima messis, Mart. 4, 79, 1.
  2. II. Trop.: pro benefactis mali messem metere, to receive evil for good, to reap ingratitude, Plaut. Ep. 5, 2, 53: uberem messem mali, id. Rud. 3, 2, 23: (morum malorum) metere messem maxumam, id. Trin. 1, 1, 11: si attigeris ostium, jam tibi hercle in ore fiet messis mergis pugneis, id. Rud. 3, 4, 58: Sullani temporis messem, the harvest of the time of Sylla, when so many were killed, Cic. Par. 6, 2, 46; (in eccl. Lat.) the time for winning souls to the truth: transiit messis, finita est aestas, et nos salvati non sumus, Vulg. Jer. 8, 20.
    Of the persons to be gathered into the church: messis quidem multa, Vulg. Luc. 10, 2; cf. id. Johan. 4, 35.
    Of the end of the world: sinite utraque crescere usque ad messem, Vulg. Matt. 13, 30; cf. v. 39.

messus, a, um, Part., v. 2. meto.

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).