I.a basket filled with stones, which the besieged threw down on the heads of the besiegers (post-class.): “ut de ligno crates facerent, quas metellas vocaverunt, lapidibusque complerent, etc. (al. metilas, medullas, metulas),” Veg. Mil. 4, 6.
mĕtella , ae, f. (prob. adj., sc. machina),