metro

¹ American  

[me-troh] / ˈmɛ troʊ /

noun

(often initial capital letter)

plural

metros

1. the underground electric railway of Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, Washington, D.C., and other cities.

2. subway.

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metro ² American  

[me-troh] / ˈmɛ troʊ /

adjective

1. metropolitan.

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noun

plural

metros

1. metropolis.

2. (often initial capital letter) the government or jurisdiction of a large city.

metro- ³ American  

1. a combining form meaning “measure,” used in the formation of compound words.

   metronome.

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metro- ⁴ American  

1. a combining form meaning “uterus,” used in the formation of compound words.

   metrorrhagia.

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metro- ⁵ American  

1. a combining form representing metropolis or metropolitan in compound words.

   metroflight; metroland; Metroliner.

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metro- ¹ British  

combining form

1. indicating the uterus

   metrorrhagia

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metro- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating a measure

   metronome

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metro ³ British  

/ ˈmɛtrəʊ, metro /

noun

1. an underground, or largely underground, railway system in certain cities, esp in Europe, such as that in Paris

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Etymology

Origin of metro¹

1900–05; < French métro, short for chemin de fer métropolitain metropolitan railroad

Origin of metro²

First recorded in 1900–05; by shortening; or independent use of metro- ³

Origin of metro-³

Combining form representing Greek métron measure

Origin of metro-⁴

Combining form representing Greek mḗtra womb

Example Sentences

Viewers in the New York metro area will also get Yankees games most Wednesday nights.

From MarketWatch

Cotality continues to have transaction delays from the recording office in Wayne County, the most populous county in the Detroit metro area, the survey said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Guards control big companies that have been given public contracts for dams, highways and metro lines, hospitals, swanky hotels and coffee shops, according to public disclosures by Revolutionary Guard-controlled companies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chicago and New York both saw prices rise more than 5% to lead all metro markets.

From Barron's

The numbers for the year through June 2025 indicate the effects of a big immigration slowdown, fewer people bailing on America’s tech epicenter, a modest Midwest rebound and the rising appeal for small southern metros.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• rail line
• railway
• subway