View source for meta

{{LaEn
|lnetxt=meta metae N F :: cone, pyramid; conical column, turning point at circus, goal; end, boundary
}}
{{Lewis
|lshtext=<b>mēta</b>: ae, f. [[root]] ma-, [[measure]], [[whence]] Gr. [[μέτρον]]; Lat. [[manus]], [[mane]], etc. (q. v.), [[properly]], [[that]] [[which]] marks a [[measured]] [[space]], [[hence]],<br /><b>I</b> [[any]] [[mark]] at a [[boundary]] or [[limit]], esp.,<br /><b>I</b> 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]]).—<br /><b>II</b> 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.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 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.—<br /><b>III</b> 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.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>2</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A [[turning]]-[[point]] in one's [[course]]: [[praestat]] Trinacrii metas lustrare Pachyni, to [[sail]] [[around]] the [[promontory]] of Pachynus, Verg. A. 3, 429.—<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<b>3</b>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 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).
}}
{{Gaffiot
|gf=<b>mēta</b>,¹¹ æ, f.,<br /><b>1</b> pyramide, cône : Cic. Rep. 1, 22 ; Liv. 37, 27 ; Col. Rust. 2, 18, 2<br /><b>2</b> borne [autour de laquelle on tournait dans le cirque] : Hor. O. 1, 1, 5 ; Prop. 3, 20, 25 ; [fig.] ad metas hærere Cic. Cæl. 75, se heurter aux bornes = être endommagé<br /><b>3</b> <b> a)</b> toute espèce de but : Hor. P. 412 ; Virg. En. 5, 159 ; <b> b)</b> extrémité, terme, fin, bout : Virg. En. 3, 714 ; 10, 472 ; 12, 546 ; Ov. M. 3, 145 ; <b> c)</b> Meta Sudans Sen. Ep. 56, 4, la Meta Sudans [fontaine qui ressemblait à la borne du cirque].
}}
{{Georges
|georg=mēta, ae, f. (zu altind. mēthí-h, mēthī, [[Pfeiler]], [[Pfosten]]), jede kegel- [[oder]] pyramidenförmige [[Figur]], I) im allg.: [[collis]] in modum metae in [[acutum]] [[cacumen]] [[fastigatus]], Liv.: [[petra]] in metae modum erecta, Curt.: [[umbra]] terrae est [[meta]] noctis, Cic.: poet., m. [[lactis]], m. [[lactans]], Käse, Mart. – II) insbes.: A) der [[Schober]], Heuschober, [[fenum]] exstruere in metas, Colum.: metas (feni) accendere, Plin. – B) [[meta]] molendaria od. molendinaria, der [[unten]] [[wie]] [[ein]] stumpfer [[Kegel]] zulaufende [[untere]] [[Teil]] [[des]] oberen Mühlsteins, der das [[Getreide]] zermalmte, der [[Läufer]], griech. ονος [[ἀλέτης]] (Ggstz. [[catillus]], w. s.), Paul. dig. 33, 7, 18. § 5: metas molendinarias rotare, Amm. 17, 4, 15. – C) prägn., die [[Spitzsäule]] am oberen u. unteren [[Ende]] [[des]] röm. [[Zirkus]], um die die Wettfahrenden [[siebenmal]] [[herumfahren]] mußten, sublatae metae ([[worunter]] [[zugleich]] [[auch]] die [[Mauer]] in dem mittleren Platze [[des]] [[Zirkus]] [[[spina]]] zu [[verstehen]]), Suet. Caes. 39, 3: dah. bildl., interiorem metam curru terere, [[nicht]] [[ausschweifen]], [[geradezu]] [[gehen]], Ov.: in flexu aetatis haesit ad metas, wurde er [[unglücklich]], Cic. – Weil diese [[Spitzsäule]] der [[Ort]] [[des]] Umlenkens, [[zugleich]] [[aber]] [[auch]] das [[Ziel]] war, dah. übtr.: a) der [[Ort]], wo [[man]] umlenkt, metas lustrare Pachyni, das [[Vorgebirge]] P. [[umfahren]], Verg.: ad metam eandem solis etc., Liv. – b) das [[Ziel]], [[Ende]], die [[Grenze]], mortis, Verg.: aevi, Verg.: ultima, Ov.: metamque tenebant, Verg.: properare ad metam, Ov.: vitae metam tangere, bestimmte Lebensjahre, Ov.: terrarum invisere metas, Sil.: ad quas metas naturae sit perveniendum usu, [[Varro]] LL. 8, 31: ad [[duas]] metas dirigere, [[auf]] [[zwei]] Ziele gleichs. hinlenken (= [[zweierlei]] im [[Auge]] [[haben]]), [[Varro]] r. r. 1, 4, 1 u. 1, 18, 1. – [[sol]] ex [[aequo]] metā distabat utrāque, es war [[Mittag]], Ov.: [[nox]] mediam caeli metam contigerat, es war [[Mitternacht]], Verg. – D) Meta sudans, [[ein]] der Meta im [[Zirkus]] ähnlicher [[Springbrunnen]] [[vor]] dem [[Amphitheater]], Sen. ep. 56, 4. Notit. reg. IV. no. 9.
}}
{{esel
|sltx=[[ἔλυμα]], [[βαλβίς]], [[δίορος]], [[γραμμή]]
}}