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metronome

American  
[me-truh-nohm] / ˈmɛ trəˌnoʊm /

noun

  1. a mechanical or electrical instrument that makes repeated clicking sounds at an adjustable pace, used for marking rhythm, especially in practicing music.

metronome British  
/ ˌmɛtrəˈnɒmɪk, ˈmɛtrəˌnəʊm /

noun

  1. a mechanical device which indicates the exact tempo of a piece of music by producing a clicking sound from a pendulum with an adjustable period of swing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • metronomic adjective
  • metronomical adjective
  • metronomically adverb

Etymology

Origin of metronome

1810–20; metro- 1 + -nome < Greek nómos rule, law

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 danger of these big moves—which are like a giant metronome that swings over the market—is that they can infect the analytical mind-set needed to successfully navigate markets with the momentum-trading virus.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

These are the bluebloods, the old money of the investment world, steady as a metronome and just as thrilling.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 9, 2025

Goalkeeper Ederson, 31, is not the guarantee of reliability he once was while gifted midfield metronome Bernardo Silva is not the influence of old as he reaches 30.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2025

Wang and Bender took turns rotating the children to the left and right in an office chair to the beat of a metronome.

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2024

An online metronome, guitar tuner, blank sheet music, music theory lessons, and music converters are all available at 8notes.com.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

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.