matela

mătella or mătēla, ae, f. dim. [matula], a pot, a vessel for liquids.

I.

In gen.: matella aquae, Plaut. Fragm. ap. Non. 543, 17; Varr. ib. 19; Cato, R. R. 10; 11.—Prov.:

mus in matella, of a person in difficulty,

Petr. 58, 9.—

II.

In partic., a chamber-pot, Mart. 12, 32, 13; id. 6, 89, 1; 14, 119 in lemm.; Sen. Ben. 3, 26, 2.—Hence, prov.:

matellam praestare alicui,

i. e. to perform for one the most menial offices, Mart. 10, 11, 3.— Transf., of a prostitute, Petr. 45, 8.