mete
1 Americanverb
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of mete1
before 900; Middle English; Old English metan; cognate with Dutch meten, Old Norse meta, Gothic mitan, German messen to measure, Greek mḗdesthai to ponder
Origin of mete2
1275–1325; Middle English < Middle French < Latin mēta goal, turning post
Explanation
If you "mete out" something (the word is usually followed by "out"), it means you dish it out in very careful measured amounts. Anyone who metes out their love probably isn't someone you want to have a relationship with. Another word often used interchangeably with mete is dole, though there are slight differences in meaning: dole suggests a more lavish, unthinking form of activity than the more stingy and controlled mete, and while some nice things (like compassion or love) can be "doled out," it's very rare that anything pleasant or happy is "meted out."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The magnets we use every day have two poles: north and south," said Professor Mete Atatüre, who led the research.
From Science Daily • Dec. 5, 2023
When Mete Erdogan, 35, first visited New York City as a tourist more than 10 years ago, he was stunned by the number of fellow Australians who seemed to be thriving there.
From New York Times • Aug. 3, 2023
"It's been really transformational," Councillor Mete Coban says, the cabinet member for energy, waste and transport, who has offered to speak with other councils to get the scheme up and running.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2023
Her aunt Emine Onder-Nizan, her uncle, Engin Onder-Nizan and cousin Mete Onder-Nizan - who all travelled from the UK - have been found.
From BBC • Feb. 10, 2023
“And from something I heard Don tell Mete, those fathers have promised to help the Bobolinks do the work, too!” broke in Dot Starr.
From The Blue Birds' Winter Nest by Roy, Lillian Elizabeth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
